EXCLUSIVE: British youngster Oliver Jarvis is facing a race against time to find the finances to race in this year's GP2 Series.

Jarvis, 24, finished as runner-up in last year's All-Japan Formula Three Championship and then enhanced his reputation considerably by winning the Macau Grand Prix - the most prestigious F3 race in the world.

But, despite being one of the hottest young properties on the market, he is struggling to raise the near half-million pound budget required to even attempt to emulate the achievements of 200

"GP2 is of great interest to me, but the problem is that the budget required to go into GP2 makes it almost impossible unless you have a lot of family money," Jarvis told eurosport.yahoo.com.

"I'm not in that sort of position and to raise £400k [the budget required] is pretty much impossible. I'm still optimistic. I'd like to be in GP2. It's under the nose of F1 teams and I want to compete against the best."

Jarvis said that he had also held talks with teams in the DTM and the ChampCar World Series, but that he was seriously considering staying in Japan and pinning his hopes on race drives in both their thriving Formula Nippon championship and the Super GT series.

"I wouldn't say we've had offers, but we're certainly talking to teams. It's important for me to keep racing, keep stepping up and progressing in my career," he added.

"I'm looking seriously at Nippon - I know there's a risk that in Japan you can fall under the radar, but the last year has been great for my career. GTs will be difficult though, as most of the top drives have gone.

"There might be an opportunity but the problem is out there, there are drivers who have been in it for a lot of years. Hopefully there's an option there though. I can't be standing still and having a year out."

Jarvis has also raced in the A1 GP series over the past 12 months and gave Team GBR its first championship win in Mexico City.

Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport