Four recent things seem to me to have a certain synergy: the absence of an Italian driver in the World Championship in 2012; the launch of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27; James Singleton's excellent debut piece for Pitpass on conveyor belt drivers and a book. The book is Sports Sponsorship, A Professional's Guide by Brian Sims and the unifying factor is sponsorship.

I grew up believing that Italy was the promised land of motor racing. There was a tradition of great drivers, great marques and amazing road and street racing. (Our picture shows Giancarlo Fisichella after winning the 2006 Malayian Grand Prix - to date, the last Italian to win a round of the world championship - Ed)

The claim that Italy was not bringing on drivers was first voiced in the 1950s which is why Italy created Formula Junior in 1957. An Italian Championship was run in 1958 and was so successful that a European series followed the following year when Formula Junior replaced the 500cc Formula Three as the FIA's preferred entry-level single seater category.

The Brits joined in 1960 and, led by Lotus, Cooper. Elva and Lola, destroyed the opposition. Racing car makers all over Europe were wiped out because drivers are not sentimental, they will only buy cars that can win. Britain has dominated the production racing car market ever since.

So far as drivers are concerned, much has depended on individual schemes, a point made by James Singleton. For the first 22 years, no French driver won a World Championship race then came official schemes first by Matra, a French aerospace company, then by Renault combined with Elf and suddenly we were awash with French talent: Beltoise, Arnoux, Prost, Pironi, Tambay, Jabouille, Pescarolo, Servoz-Gavin, Jarier and Lafitte.

Giancarlo Baghetti won his first three F1 races in 1961 in a Ferrari 156 'sharknose'. He won the non-Championship races in Naples and Syracuse, both of which had strong fields, and then sensationally in his debut WC event, the French GP. Apart from the 1950 British GP, the first race in the Championship, he remains the only driver to win his debut World Championship race.

His car was not, however, entered by Scuderia Ferrari, but by the Federazione Italiana Scuderia Automobilistiche, a coalition of private team owners who arranged a loan with Ferrari.

It did not have the latest 120-degree V6, but the earlier 60-degree engine, but that still had more grunt then the Porsche and Coventry Climax 'fours'.

The car was prepared by Ferrari, but the choice of driver was down to the coalition. It remains a great example of a scheme to bring on driving talent. There was no follow through.