Bradley Ray has an even bigger stage to showcase his skills after the 14-year-old won a two-year placement in the Red Bull Rookies Championship, starting in 2012.

Ray (pictured) was one of 102 riders battling for 12 places, and after three days’ testing in Spain, the Lydd youngster was the first rider – and the only British entrant – selected.

The step is the biggest reward for Ray, whose hard-charging efforts in the Sunaco British 125GP Championship ended with a sixth-place finish in his first season.

"They made the bikes quite hard to ride," he said. "It was a test of our ability to cope with what we were given and to see if we just got on with it or asked for changes."

Costs throughout the championship, including bikes, will be met by Red Bull. The rookies will also benefit from tuition by a selection of ex-top riders and learn what it is like to be involved at the highest level by sharing the pits with the likes of Valentino Rossi and newly-crowned Moto GP champion Casey Stoner.

The championship has been a path to the big time before, and Ray will be aiming to emulate Bradley Smith, another Red Bull Rookie, who has signed a three-year deal with Yamaha to race in Moto GP from the 2013 season.