Yesterday Formula Two announced a new partnership with the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, which will see F2 supply six Williams JPH1B cars for the final driver assessment process.

The move, which reaffirms Formula Two's commitments to developing young driver talent, will also lead to a radical shake-up of the award's format, with all six finalists now able to be on track at the same time - something that has proved impossible previously.

In light of the new agreement, formulatwo.com talked to Dean Smith, who won the 2009 MABA and shortly afterwards experienced the Williams JPH1 F2 car during 2009 testing in Portimão.

Having won the award yourself last year, how do you feel the new partnership with F2 - who will supply six cars for the finalists - will benefit the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award?

It's definitely a very good thing for the award. Firstly, to have everyone out at the same time will be very important, as it will really highlight to both the engineers and the judges who the best driver is. The F2 car is pretty sophisticated, with a lot of power, paddleshift gearbox and cockpit-adjustable features, so it'll be a real challenge for the finalists to step up to. That can only be a good thing: in F1 the situation is very changeable and drivers have to be able to adapt, so it's important to also assess how quickly each driver can adapt to new challenges.

The new partnership should also help with judging feedback. From my own experience working as a mechanic and an engineer, it's really important for drivers to be able to give good feedback, which is often fundamental in getting the most out of the car. If everyone has the same equipment, in the same conditions, their feedback will be a lot easier to judge.

Do you think having all six F2 cars on track at the same time will help differentiate between the MABA finalists?

The modern awards are probably the closest ever - certainly last year was more competitive than in 2007 when I was also nominated. Now the judges are looking at the overall package; obviously you have to be quick, but they are also looking at your fitness, your adaptability and the mental side.

In that sense it will be very good to have all cars out on circuit at the same time - for example if the track is drying, it can be unfair on some drivers who are on circuit the earliest. With all six cars the situation becomes much more interesting: the trick is to push at the end, not the start, and always be thinking. If everyone is out at the same time it is more equal, which is far better as it allows every driver's psychological approach and strength to also be examined.

Can you describe how important the MABA award was for you?

For me the MABA was a dream come true. I didn't know the Manor team before I went there but Tony and Sarah (Shaw) are a great pair and they are 100% committed to winning, not to finishing second. Then the actual award night was unbelievable - I was introduced to so many people, and importantly they were all well connected - it opens a lot of doors, lets you meet the right people and importantly gives you an understanding of what F1 really is looking for.

You have experienced the Williams JPH1 car in testing at Portimão - how quickly did you adapt to it?

The F2 is different to any other car I have driven, but I adapted very quickly. The operation is very organised, there's a great atmosphere and you have good engineers and mechanics. In speed terms the car is very close to Formula Renault 3.5, especially down the straight. On the first morning I went with the recommended setup and I ended sixth tenths of a second clear of the field. In the next two sessions I played around with the settings, but by the end I went fourth fastest on old tyres and was on a very fast lap on new tyres until the car had a problem in the second sector. Overall it was very positive!

Lastly, can you tell us anything about your future?

Right now F2 is definitely the plan. I really like the overall package: the cars are all very close, they're a lot faster than F3 and the budget is very attractive. It will also be a big jump for me, and I look forward to the challenge. Andy Soucek is the perfect example of where you can go straight from F2, so that's another good asset of the championship. We are quite close to a deal now, and with my experience of the car I will definitely be aiming for the championship in my first year!