Jordan King has reminded F1 team bosses that he is very much a driver they would do well to keep tabs on over the upcoming years, as he triumphed in the opening round of the 2012 MRF Challenge at Buddh International Circuit12 months on from a similarly impressive victory on the Indian Grand Prix support package.

As the reigning MRF Challenge Champion, the talented young Warwickshire ace travelled to Buddh International Circuit on the outskirts of the Indian capital of New Delhi as one of the pre-eminent protagonists for glory. He knew, however, that with rivals of the calibre of the recently-crowned FIA Formula Two Champion, a GP3 Series race-winner and a former GP2 Series contenderall of whom are accustomed to racing somewhat higher up the motorsport laddersuccessfully retaining his hard-fought laurels would be no mean feat.

There were also a whole host of local specialists amongst the 18 competitors, a new car to adapt to and the undeniable prestige of the occasion, but King maturely shrugged off the notion that the spotlight of being on the glamorous, high-profile F1 bill engendered any extra pressure, insisting that he would treat the meeting just like any other and that his target remained the same as alwaysto win.

With the 2012-spec Dallara-Renault single-seater benefitting from a bit more power and grip than its predecessor and consequently being that little bit racier than before, the highly-rated Stoneleigh-based speed demon underlined just what a rapid learner he is by getting to grips with it in double-quick timeand a comfortable pole position for both races in qualifying was the outcome. Whats moreominously for his adversarieshe was confident he could have gone even faster still...

Once youve got into your rhythm, its a really fun track to drive, he explained. Its a nice, flowing circuit with some long straights where its possible to pick up a good tow. We made a few set-up changes before race one, but I think we probably went a bit too low on the tyre pressures and that cost us.

I bogged down slightly at the start and lost the lead, and after that we didnt have the outright pace wed had in qualifying until the very end. I was still able to stay with the leader and even closed right in on him a couple of times, but my car just came on too late to make a difference. Had the race gone on for another lap or two, it could have been a different story...

Revealing that the racing was hard, with no quarter given, ever the fiercely-competitive soul that he is, King was understandably disappointed to miss out on the top spot, but nonetheless satisfied with the runner-up spoils in the knowledge that the result still represented a strong start to his four-round title defence. Notably, he also finished ahead of a driver who barely a week earlier had tested a Williams F1 car. And besides, he would swiftly make amends for any fleeting element of frustration in race two the following day.

I got jumped away from the line again, but I reclaimed the lead on the second lap when I dived down the inside from about a car-length-and-a-half back going into the last corner, recounted the McLaren AUTOSPORT Award finalist, British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) Rising Star and MSA Academy member. After that, I had to defend quite hard for a lap or so because the guy behind was still right on my tail down the straights, but once I had succeeded in breaking the tow, I was able to pull away and then it was just a question of controlling my pace.

Taking the chequered flag more than six seconds clear of his closest pursuer, Kings dominant victory, runner-up finish and brace of fastest laps will see the 18-year-old head to the next outing at the beginning of December firmly ensconced atop the points table. The pursuit of a second consecutive MRF crown is, he asserts, very much on-track.

It felt brilliant to win, especially in such an emphatic manner and in front of such a significant crowd, the Hugo Boss brand ambassador mused in conclusion. It was nice and quite surreal to be walking around and having F1 people coming up to congratulate me! The goal now has to be to maintain our momentum and keep this form going.