F2 champ to test Williams

Ninth place in the opening race of the weekend in Spain was enough to put Stoneman out of reach of closest rival Jolyon Palmer to make the Briton the second driver to lift the F2 crown since the series was resurrected last year.

Stoneman’s title victory came in his first season in the series and on the back of numerous race wins over the course of the year – including on home soil at Brands Hatch and in the first F2 race on the Marrakech street circuit.

“It’s only just starting to settle in really,” he said. “Getting into Formula One has always been my dream, and this just brings me one step closer to that.

"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.

"I’m just going to go there and do what I do best: get in the car and drive as fast as I can!

2009 F2 title winner Andy Soucek earned a role as test driver for Virgin Racing on the back of his title success, although the Spaniard has since left the team due to the lack of opportunities offered by F1’s in-season testing ban.