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As a reward for finishing as runner-up in the 2008 BRDC Stars of Tomorrow title chase, Scottish karting star Robert Gilmour took to the track for the first time in a single-seater – and the experience has clearly whetted his appetite for more.

The Lesmahagow ace waged a season-long duel last year with compatriot Ross Wylie for Junior Max honours, in the same series that first set none other than a certain Lewis Hamilton on the fast track to future Formula 1 glory.

Though he ultimately missed out on the crown by the scant margin of just seven points at the end of a titanic battle, with four rostrum finishes from nine rounds amongst a fiercely-competitive field of more than 50 drivers, it was nonetheless a stellar campaign.

“It was almost perfect,” he reflected with a wry grin. “There was a real rivalry with Ross, and we both worked very hard to try and win it. It came off for Ross in the end rather than me, but I can’t complain with second.”

Robert certainly couldn’t complain with his prize for finishing second either, as both he and Wylie earned themselves a day out at Donington Park – future home of the British Grand Prix – testing a Formula Renault UK single-seater.

Conducting 180 laps in total over the course of the day, the 16-year-old admitted it was something of a journey into the unknown – not least because he had never even been to Donington before, let alone driven around it.

“Because I’d never been in a single-seater before I didn’t really know what to expect,” he confessed. “When we got there we went to meet the guys in the team and get our seats fitted – they make the mould round your body.

“We were belted and strapped into the cockpit, and when the mould was set it felt really hot on my bum and legs! It felt quite weird being in the cockpit while they were doing that, because I couldn’t really see over the top of it, just the tops of the wheels.

“The first session was interesting, because I didn’t expect the car to have as much power as it did. The tyres were cold too, and as soon as I tried to nail it, the wheels just spun round! I did put it into the gravel once or twice when the power took me by surprise…

“There wasn’t actually that much going on technically, just wee alterations here and there. The mechanics changed the brake pads which improved things a bit, and they showed us everything they were doing on the computer.

“Going down the Craner Curves was really good. The speed you pick up there as you head down the hill is just phenomenal. It was a big jump from karts, and when I got back into a kart again after I was like, ‘there’s no action!’ The actual size of the car compared to a kart was a learning curve too, but overall it was the best thing I’ve ever been in.”

That said, the plan for 2009 remains karting – for now at least – in the premier KZ1 gearbox class, with perhaps a little bit of single-seater testing thrown in for good measure too, ahead of what Robert hopes will be his maiden full season of car competition in 2010.

The driver who counts recently-retired, 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard as his racing inspiration – ‘He’s got an excellent record on the track and always thinks while he’s driving, and out of the car he seems very chilled-out’ – is certainly ready to prove his mettle at karting’s highest level to show he firmly deserves his place on the single-seater grid.

“I’ve raced the two-gear DD2 class in Europe before, so I’m not sure how much different KZ1 is going to be,” the truck mechanic mused. “I’ve not been out in the kart yet, but I know I’ve got a big challenge ahead of me. It will be good if we can get something out of it that enables us to move into cars in 2010.”