You’ve probably never heard of him, but Will Stevens is the next Lewis Hamilton. At least that is the way his backers see it and they are supporting their decision with heavy investment.

The 17-year-old from Essex has a contract in his pocket with Honda that lays out in intricate detail Stevens’ path from karts to Formula One. It has been put together by his management team of ex-F1 drivers Mark Blundell and Martin Brundle, who took him on when he was just 14 years old.