Australian Formula 1 hopeful Thomas Randle has joined the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s prestigious Rising Stars program.

The 20-year-old has been invited into the fold following a successful debut season in BRDC F3, where he finished fourth in the standings.

Becoming a Rising Star affords Randle access to the BRDC facilities throughout the year, including attendance at next year’s British Grand Prix.

Randle, who moved to the UK following a season in Australian Formula 4 last year, is aiming to progress to the Formula V8 3.5 class in 2017.

“I feel truly honoured to become a member of the BRDC Rising Stars program,” he said.

“It has been a terrific debut year in the BRDC F3 Championship and it’s great that all of my hard work and achievements has paid off, and to become a member of the BRDC as an Australian driver is just fantastic.

“Many of today’s brightest young, up and coming drivers are already part of the ‘Rising Stars’ and I am hoping being aligned with it will assist me with my future career.”

The BRDC’s current list of Rising Stars features the likes of Williams F1 test driver Lance Stroll, reigning Toyota Racing Series winner Lando Norris and IndyCar hopeful Matthew Brabham.

Past recipients include three-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.