He will also be racing in the local Formula Ford and endurance race commitments through the year.

“I will be racing in the French Formula 4 this season,” Stuart confirmed from Le Mans. White has been testing his new car at the iconic Sarthe circuit’s Bugatti circuit this week, where he was subsequently confirmed to be driving in the 2017 series. “It’s been a long time in coming and we have worked really hard to get here.

“Now I can’t wait for the championship to get going with the four rounds in France and three in the rest of Europe - we race at some iconic circuits like Spa, Monza and even here at Le Mans where we have been testing. “This is really a big opportunity and we are going to give it our best.”

The French series is a little different to some other global Formula 4 championships in that it is run in-house from Le Mans as an academy by the French racing Federation, the FFSA, which works together with Renault. The 2017 champion will be inducted into the Renault Sport Academy, which aims to get drivers to Formula 1.

Stuart will also race back home, starting with this weekend’s 6 Hours of the Goldfields in Welkom, where he will share a leading Formula Renault 3.5-based African Endurance racer. White will also race in the new wings and slicks Investchem South African Formula Ford championship starting March 25 at Killarney, Cape Town.