The 20-year-old British star, who lives in Wansford, battled hard to a ninth place result during his first competitive run in WEC on Saturday afternoon, having started the race in 12th position in his Manor Competition prepared car.

Qualifying on Saturday morning, which determined the starting order for the first race, took place on a wet track following overnight rain although the surface did begin to dry and slick tyres were certainly the correct choice during the closing minutes.

After pitting for slick tyres, Sims had just two laps in which to secure a top grid slot but and had to settle for sixth row on the grid.

Making an excellent getaway at the start of the race, Sims gained four places to climb into the top eight and eventually finished ninth just seven tenths of a second behind the next car.

"Saturday's qualifying session was a bit of a shambles really", he said. "After overnight rain the track slowly dried but I lost time to traffic on my second lap on slick tyres and we ended up 12th on the grid which wasn't great. But we still finished in the points on our debut."

Sunday morning's qualifying session didn't go to plan either and Sims ended up with an uncharacteristic 23rd best time following a spin in very wet conditions.

And then in race two proper, held in atrocious conditions, he spun again and was forced to retire.

"The racing certainly didn't provide the results we wanted or expected but the main aim was to learn the track," he said. "Things didn't turn out as we'd hoped but it was good to come to Spa and get some valuable experience of the track."

Prior to his outing in the Formula Renault WEC series, Sims received yet another honour after being invited by the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) to become one of the organisation's prestigious 'Rising Stars'.

Coming hot on the heels of the recent announcement he is one of six finalists in the 2008 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, the BRDC Rising Star accolade is yet further confirmation of the outstanding year Sims has enjoyed in Formula Renault UK.

He had 12 podium visits, including two race victories, on his way to becoming the highest points scorer overall.

Many experts see the 20 year-old as a genuine star of the future with the ability and pace to potentially make it all the way to Formula One.

Sims said: "It's fantastic to have another important group of people award you such an accolade. It's nice to have the recognition and, like the McLaren Award and the British Race Elite, it can only be good for my career."

The BRDC Rising Star is an invitation-only award which aims to recognise young racers who have displayed excellence in their chosen category and who are seen to have incredible potential for future success in the upper echelons of motor racing.