THERE was only one word for it.

Gregor Ramsay had just walked into the nerve centre of the Ferrari driving academy after throwing a Formula 3 car around a test track at speeds of up to 165mph. He is 15 years old.

He stepped from the car into a future brimming with promise. Ferrari, the prancing horse of world racing, want to recruit the Scots lion.

Ramsay, from Hairmyres, near East Kilbride, will return to Italy this month to gain his Italian CSI-ACSI C racing licence and seems certain to join the Ferrari driving academy in October. Luca Baldisserri, head of the programme and once the racing engineer for Michael Schumacher, said: “He is very quick, very fit.”

Baldisserri was speaking after assessing 75 laps driven by Ramsay on the Fiorano race track. The Williamwood High School pupil was being tested at the same time as a PanAmerican karting champion who was three years older. The young Scot consistently bested his rival and his last lap equalled the record set by any academy driver.

It was the third time that Ramsay had sat in a Formula 3 car. His first two days behind the wheel of such a vehicle had been at Hockenheim in May, weeks before his 15th birthday, as he prepared for the visit to the Ferrari academy.

Ramsay had been spotted by Ferrari when he was karting with Tony Kart junior team at a track in the southern tip of Italy. The track was wet and Ramsay was more than half a second quicker than any other competitor.

The teenager, who has been racing karts since the age of 10, was ready to make his move. Ferrari, crucially, were prepared to see if he could make the leap to Formula 3.

His father, Scott, a former Formula Ford champion, accompanied his son to Maranello for the tests. His delight at his son’s performance was preceded by a sense of wonder at the intensity of the tests.

“There were medical tests, psychological assessment, decision-making analysis, a fitness test and sessions on a simulator where Gregor was seriously quick,” said an impressed father.

The most important day of a week at Maranello was, however, the testing on the track. Young Ramsay had direct communications with Baldisserri through a headset and his every move was watched by more than 200 cameras on the track and by five engineers at trackside. The car was set up in the style of Formula One with foot pedal and throttle positions, engine mapping, tyres, brakes and front load suspension.

And young Ramsay went faster and faster and faster. “I was talking to the control room at all times and they were constantly giving me advice on where to brake and how to make the lap times that bit better,” said the young driver.

“It was an amazing experience. It was a life-changing day. I always thought I could be quick in an F3 car but this proved it. It is hard to explain just how thrilling it was driving at speeds of up to 165mph. I was ecstatic after doing 75 laps because I knew I was getting quicker and quicker and I knew I was responding well to what was suggested.

“When I walked into the room at trackside, there was a chorus of ‘Bravo’ from the engineers and a ‘Bravo’ too from Mr Baldisserri. It was a great day and I was just thrilled with the power of the car. It is totally different to anything I have ever experienced.”

It was a dramatic moment, too, in the journey of Ramsay towards his destination as an F1 driver. The lad who started karting at Cambuslang six years ago is now on the brink of an F3 career.

After a two-hour discussion with his father, Ferrari now want the youngster to gain his international licence and join the academy in October. He would then compete for the famous team next year.

“It was an incredible moment when Ferrari made it clear how much they rated Gregor,” said his father. “The next move is to travel to Monza in August to gain his licence and then bring his sponsors to Italy to talk to Ferrari.”

Clyde Blowers have been the financial driving force behind the young Scot for three years. Chief executive Jim McColl and founding partner Alex Stewart, in particular, have taken a keen interest on Ramsay’s road to the top.

“Jim always talks about how today’s ideas are tomorrow’s successes and Gregor is a shining example of that. Gregor immediately became interested in karting after his first visit when he was nine and his talent and will have taken him quickly to an extraordinary level,” said Scott Ramsay.

Within a year of driving a kart, young Ramsay was racing in competitions. He became the youngest holder of an International Kart Licence and is now on track to fulfil an ambition of being an F3 driver by the age of 16.

The ultimate aim, of course, it to become an F1 driver. A spot at Ferrari’s academy would be a significant step in that direction. The strategy is to give the pupil a dual life, with schooling at Williamwood High School alternating with regular trips to the academy.

But what was what a hazy dream is coming into a dramatic focus. The young driver has been supported strongly by a family who down-sized their home to fund his progress. His sponsors have been invaluable as have his coaches and team-mates.

Ferrari now beckon and Ramsay is set to take the future into his assured hands.