DEAN Stoneman sealed the Formula 2 Championship and moved a step closer to achieving his Formula 1 “dream.”

Stoneman’s prize for winning the F2 title is a test drive with the Williams Formula One team after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.

But he promised to treat the F1 test the same as any other drive in his career, saying: “I’m just going to get in the car and drive as fast as I can!”

A ninth placed finish in the opening race of the Championship’s final round in Valencia was enough to clinch the 2010 crown for the Bishops Waltham-based 20 year-old.

Stoneman went into the weekend’s first race with a 31-point lead over his nearest challenger Jolyon Palmer.

The pair were 11th and seventh on the grid respectively after qualifying for the first race with Palmer needing to finish four places ahead of Stoneman to take the championship down to the wire.

But Stoneman made up two places on the opening lap to finish ninth, two places behind Palmer, which gave him an unassailable 27-point lead going into the final race.

Reflecting on his title win, Stoneman said: “It’s only just starting to settle in.

“Getting into Formula One has always been my dream, and this just brings me one step closer.

"It’s hard to know what to expect but it’s obviously a fantastic opportunity to be testing a Williams Formula One car, so hopefully I can prove myself."

For full story don't miss this week's Hampshire Chronicle.