The ADD Motorsports driver ended up fourth in the first race and was again unlucky not to finish on the podium in the second as he took Monza by storm with Team Bonaldi Motorsport.

Despite being one of the youngest on the track with just two years racing under his belt - and racing drivers twice his age - the 18-year-old showed no fear as the Lamborghini Huracán competition kicked off in style.

And the weekend could have finished even better if things outside his control had gone his way.

Instead, the young racer showed he will be one to keep an eye on as the series progresses.

He said: “It was a brilliant start to the series, I really enjoyed myself out there.

“To be driving at these speeds up against such an experienced grid and to hold my own was very satisfying.

“I was really unlucky not to come away with a podium, but I know there’s a lot more to come from me.”

After a one-off race at the end of last year at the Lamborghini World Final, Martin got his 2016 opener with the current World and European champions off to a solid start.

With 47 Huracán LP 620-2 cars lining up for the opening round - reaching speeds of up to 300km/h - qualifying was never going to be easy.

Martin needed to overtake three cars on his best lap to finish 10th in the first session, before bettering this with a sixth place finish in the second, despite being heavily impeded by traffic.

But his aggressive and assertive start in the first race saw him move up to sixth from his 10th place position, quickly.

Rain throughout the race, along with the heavy traffic, made driving tough, but Martin battled well to come through in fourth and was not far from a deserved podium.

Race two saw Martin start in sixth and when he had got through into fourth by the second lap he was looking on for a podium.

But after another safety car intervention, he was hit from behind and despite getting into third, the damage from the crash caused him to spin onto the gravel, leaving him disappointed to finish in 13th.

Fraser Sheader, director of performance and management team ADD Motorsports, said: “Although the final result wasn’t what we deserved, Martin did a brilliant job - we couldn’t have been happier with his performance.

“He showed great pace and maturity beyond his years and got the most out of the weekend despite the difficult qualifying sessions. 

“It was a big weekend and big step up for him, but he really delivered.

“There’s a long way to go, but from how he handled himself this weekend, he has shown that if he continues in this form, he will be a Championship contender.”