BEIJING, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - China´s top hope to race in Formula One, Tung Ho-pin, has been buoyed by the success this year of rookie Lewis Hamilton and plans one day to follow in his footsteps.

While China has an established Grand Prix, the list of potential drivers from the country is thin with Tung seen as the most likely to get the nod.

This year he joined GP2 -- formerly known as Formula 3000 -- the division below F1. With the move, he is following the same path as Hamilton, who was the GP2 champion last season and made his F1 debut this year.

"If you look at Hamilton, it is once again proof that if a driver is quick in GP2, he can do a great job in F1," Tung, 24, told the China Daily.

"Of course, I am still learning. But every time I drive I learn more because I am racing against much more experienced drivers."

In his first GP2 season, which has just concluded, Tung finished 24th.

But he was satisfied with his results and is aiming to do much better next year.

"I still had some very good results and even scored some points, although the team I was competing for was certainly not the best from the paddock," he said.

"Now I know all the tracks, which will be a great help to me next year. With my experience this year I should be able to be a constant top-8 finisher."

After dominating the Formula BMW series in 2003, Tung was handed a test drive in a BMW Williams Formula One car, making him the first Chinese ever to drive the ultimate racing machine.

He got the behind the wheel once again at the Chinese Grand Prix this month when he gave a demonstration of the BMW Sauber.

"It was great to be back behind the wheel of an F1 car again, even tough it was only for some demonstrations," he told the paper.

"When BMW granted me my first test drive four years ago, I had absolutely no doubt that I wanted to get into Formula One. I´m working very hard to achieve that goal."