Adam Blair is being tipped for stardom by the man who discovered Jenson Button.

Like Button, the 21-year-old from Crawley will be competing at Silverstone this weekend.

While Button dices with the likes of Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen, Blair will be lining up in the latest round of the Formula 3 Championship which supports the Formula One showpiece.

Nicknamed The Ghetto Kid, Blair is a rough diamond who he is hoping to shine in the glitzy world of motor racing.

His story is one of hardship, although 'The Ghetto Kid' is a tongue-in-cheek tag as Adam comes from a middle-class background.

But the top echelons of motor racing are normally the domain of rich kids - something Blair certainly is not.

His thirst for success has already left him £30,000 in debt and the bills are likely to pile up further if he continues to shine.

So is it all worth it? Paul Lambert, the man who discovered and managed the early career of Button, believes it is.

Lambert is head of motorsport at Crawley-based Marvellous Sports Management, who look after Blair. He said: "Adam has the talent and commitment to succeed and become a Formula One champion.

"He is one of the most determined people I have ever met."

It costs between £150,000 and £300,000 to compete for one season in Formula 3, which makes things difficult for the average man.

That is where the help of Marvellous Sports Management has come in. Managing director Nick Molloy has designed a unique package which sees his car carrying different sponsors for every race he competes in.

Blair just has to provide the talent - and he has plenty of that.

At the age of ten, he bullied his parents into buying him a kart and he went on to win more than 50 races in karting.

When he was 17 Blair took out a bank loan to compete in Formula First, finishing fourth in the championship behind three works drivers. He then moved on to Formula Ford in 1999 where, despite huge financial restrictions, he continued to impress, claiming pole position in four of the races.

On the eve of this season Blair accepted an offer to drive for Peterborough-based Performance Racing, competing in the scholarship class of Formula 3.

Blair said: "I don't come from a rich family. Nick has taken me under his wing and we have found backing this year in the form of sponsorship.

"We have had seven podiums so far which everyone has been amazed about because I have had no testing."

money allowing, Blair is confident he can go further. He said: "I have always been extremely motivated and very determined, perhaps more determined than other motor racing drivers.

"It is quite lucky I bumped into Nick because without him it would never have come to fruition.

"I really can't imagine not succeeding. The goal is to be recognised as the best and the fastest racing driver in the world. Formula 1 is the most recognised place to illustrate that.

"But it is very much dependant on the money. That is the big obstacle. If Premier One Grand Prix is launched next year, which they are talking about, I can see myself getting into that."