It may well be a somewhat ancient old adage, but the phrase ‘local lad done good’ can be very much applicable to Dean Stoneman.

Who? You may or may not ask.

Well, Southampton born Stoneman who recently clinched the Formula Two title, a division just one notch below that of the coveted Formula One circuit has secured a test drive with Williams’ F1 outfit following his motoring heroics.

Despite being only 20 years of age, Stoneman’s debut winning bow in F2 after four consecutive years ploughing his way through the logistics of lower level racing to the Formula Renault 2.0 UK in 2009, where incidentally he finished fourth at the end of the season seem to have supplied the Briton with a strong platform in which to build.

An unassailable lead over compatriot Jolyon Palmer cemented at Spain’s Valencia Circuit has raised the youngster’s considerable growing stock in the sport in a F2 format which acts as a feeder league, awaiting the powers that be to utilise the talent showcased.

With an FIA superlicence already held within his grasp, Stoneman will receive his chance to assert his career credentials in the young driver’s test in Abu Dhabi at the end of the current F1 campaign.

The prized opportunity brings the Hampshire driver a chance to impress potential suitors, and with it a step closer to attaining his F1 dream, which would be a remarkable feat for the driver whom in some cases can boast a greater record than one time World Champion Lewis Hamilton when drawing comparisons to the two youth players careers during their respective paths throughout the graduation process.

Whatever comes of the next few months, Southampton will have to take note of one of the city’s most promising sporting opportunists in several years. Stoneman’s date with destiny is sure to spark a conjecture of local support, but can the British driver withstand the heat and pressure of the track in his quest to mix it with the game’s elite?