Tydd St Giles racer George Russell is the youngest driver to be selected as a finalist in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, with the winner getting a McLaren Formula 1 test drive.

Russell, who was 16 in February, is one of the six finalists in the contest, which looks to find the most promising British driver competing at a junior level.

Former winners include David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti, Jenson Button and Paul di Resta.

Russell is in the hunt for the BRDC Formula 4 Championship title with one round to go and finished fourth in the Formula Renault ALPS series.

The finalists will gather at Silverstone for two days of testing at the end of October, during which they will sample Formula 2 single-seaters DTM Mercedes machinery and a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 racer.

Russell said: “Although luck hasn’t always been our side and we’ve had a few issues the judges have seen past it, and it’s great to be recognised.

“I really do want to win it, but I just need to be relaxed and not put too much pressure on myself, and then the performance will come.

I’ll give it my all, but it’s not about being the fastest over one lap – you have to be consistently quick and not crash. There’s a lot to winning this award and that’s what makes it so special.”