“I obviously have an opportunity to travel that most people don't get – which is brilliant – and it's good to see that when we go to places like that we do make the most of it. I'd never been to Asia before, and it was just like nothing I'd ever seen. I really enjoyed it out there.

“It did help that we won – because it was a long way to travel – and the kart was fantastic and so was the engine, so that was the main thing. I wish Birel every success in 2009. I had a fantastic time with them and have made some great friends. I know they will take some great results this season.”

When asked about the secret behind his sustained success, Harvey was unequivocal, well aware that he has been fortunate to have enjoyed 'good support from the kart and engine manufacturers' and 'the right people around me to get the best out of myself' – and it is clear that he has repeatedly gotten the best out of them too. The men who will run him in 2009 evidently hope and believe that it is a trait that will translate across into cars.

“We had seen Jack's results in karting over the last couple of years,” revealed Racing Steps Foundation boss Derek Walters, “and after he had his initial test in the Formula BMW car he continued to impress us with his professionalism and his pace.

“We agreed that BMW was the right place for him to be, and we're excited about him being part of the programme. He's very focussed, and it would be nice to see him win the rookie title in his first season, certainly.”

“I've known about Jack for quite a while and had my eye on him,” added Fortec team boss Richard Dutton. “His results in karts show he has plenty of potential, and his early testing pace has been very good. The team is already impressed with him and he is proving to be very professional and focussed on what he needs to do.

“I'm excited about what we can achieve over the course of the season. The rookie title is definitely there, but it would be nice to think we can do more than that.”

Although sad to lose such potential, Birel Motorsport boss Ronni Sala was similarly full of praise for his 2008 KF2 charge.

“Jack is a very professional driver and we had some great success with him,” the Italian remarked. “He has a very mature approach to his driving and he always gets the best result possible on the day, which is important to win championships. I am 100 per cent certain that he will be successful in car racing, and everyone at Birel is happy that he has this chance to move up.”

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