Tom meanwhile has not only been working on his physical preparations, he has also enlisted the help of former Production World Rally champion Martin Rowe to assist in his Rally GB campaign.

Rowe, who won the P-WRC in 2003, was on hand at the test to work with Tom and the Yokohama technicians to assess different tyre options for the event and was impressed with the youngster's feeling and feedback.

“I first worked with Tom at the beginning of last year, when he attended one of our ice-driving schools in Norway,” said Rowe. “Since then, his pace and skill have developed massively and I was impressed with both his speed and approach at the test.

“We blind-tested several tyre options over the two days, including separating possible tyre options with a control pattern and he felt and understood every option that we fitted to the car. We also worked on some suspension settings and the feedback he gave, both on this and the tyre behaviour, was very impressive.

“We also carried out several endurance runs, since Wales Rally GB will feature much longer stages than he is used to, as well as some running in darkness. Again, he coped very well with the demands he is likely to meet on the event and from what I saw over the two days, should do well in December.”

“The test went very well,” added Tom. “We were able to assess various types of Yokohama tyres at Geoff Jones' facility, as well as several different cuts to see how they affected the grip and handling of the car to deal with the conditions we are likely to face on the event.

“It was also fantastic having Martin on hand. He was a very easy-going guy and gave me loads of tips and pointers for the event, which will help make our event as successful as possible.”

Before he rolls over the start ramp at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff however, Tom has to pass his UK driving test. He has already passed his theory test and has a series of four-hour lessons booked to ensure that although he is well versed in car control, he is able to spot hazards and temper his impressive skill to driving on the UK roads, as opposed to stages.

Assuming he passes his practical UK driving test on November 25 next week, he will become the youngest driver to compete on the UK round of the modern FIA WRC, an impressive feat after just two seasons of rallying and a perfect transition from his competition in Latvia to the next phase of his rally career.