Brits on Pole

After months of preparation and anticipation, it came down to this: one powerful car, one iconic race track and one amateur driver about to go where millions of fans would give their eye teeth to follow.

Except, as this photo gallery shows, there was far more to it than just one man and one machine.

An online game of speed and reflexes, a track assessment day and a series of simulator tests had whittled down the thousands of entrants to one winner and, far from standing alone, he was backed up by a full team from driver coaches to PR handlers.

When Rob Tarlton hit the track in his Williams FW29, he had built up to that moment in a Silverstone Lotus Exige and in a Raikkonen Robertson Racing F3 car.

He’d taken advice from F1 driver Kazuki Nakajima and Superleague pilot Jonathan Kennard.

And, for that morning, he’d been equipped, promoted, managed, interviewed, advised, briefed, debriefed, led around and followed about exactly as if he was the real deal and not a one-shot guest.

Here’s how it looked from the pitlane: