Motor Sport: Oliver Jarvis

Oliver Jarvis scored a maiden win for Britain in Mexico on March 25 but the Englishman may not be asked to race at home for the final round of the A1GP series at Brands Hatch on April 29. The anomaly comes about because the focus is on nation competing against nation and Jarvis is considered to be Britain's second choice. Jarvis, asked to stand in for Robbie Kerr in Mexico, grabbed his chance with a victory made all the more impressive by his lack of experience in this competitive series.

"I went into Mexico having only competed in one other A1GP race," says Jarvis. "That was in Beijing last November and the situation was made even more difficult because I didn't actually get to qualify the car in China thanks to qualifying being cancelled. Mexico was my first full weekend in the car. But, from the moment I started practice, I knew we were quick and it became clear that we were one of the favourites."

Jarvis proved it by controlling the main feature race from start to finish on the former grand prix track in Mexico City.

"In many ways, the cars are fairly basic when compared to F1 because there are no sophisticated electronics or driver aids," says Jarvis. "These cars are difficult to drive and you feel them moving about a lot, especially when the tyres get old as the race progresses. During the last few laps, the car can be quite a handful at times.

"The Mexico circuit is physically as well as mentally challenging because there are a lot of corners that lead one into the other. If you make a mistake in one corner, it will affect you for the next three or four. To win there was satisfying for a number of reasons, not least because it is a fantastic track and I was up against drivers who have been doing A1GP for a whole year."

Having been the runner-up in the British F3 Championship in 2006, Jarvis faced a familiar dilemma for young drivers. About to turn 23 in January, Jarvis knew that the next step would be critical. The ideal career move would have been to GP2, the series supporting grands prix in Europe and the final proving ground in recent years for Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. There was only one drawback; Jarvis could not lay his hands on the £1m needed for a GP2 season.

Jarvis accepted a drive with a leading Japanese F3 team because it would not cost him and he knew that Adrian Sutil, the winner of last year's Japanese F3 championship, had done enough in this competitive series to earn an F1 drive with Spyker. The chance of the occasional race with Team GBR in A1GP completed the package. Jarvis has no regrets.

"One of the best things about A1GP is the atmosphere," says Jarvis. "I've raced in a lot of series and you barely speak to your fellow competitors. But A1 has such a friendly feeling, not just in terms of drivers with the fans, but also drivers with drivers. We all get along, have really good fun together and I think the fans can see that. It is a superb atmosphere to work in.

"Initially, I was not sure if this nation against nation idea was a good thing. But it works brilliantly. The support for the Mexican team at home was absolutely fantastic. The fans interact much more than usual, even if they don't know the drivers taking part. But the important point is that the people who matter in motor sport know who is actually driving the car. It is a fantastic opportunity for young drivers like myself to showcase their talent on a wider stage.

"Mexico was a chance to go out there and prove myself. It was fantastic to be able to repay the faith shown in me by bringing the first win for Team GBR. To do that in my second race was a truly great feeling and I hope to be given the chance to repeat it at Brands Hatch. The atmosphere there is going to be unbelievable. I just want to be a part of it."