F1 Man Plans Caterham Championship Bid

24 February 2006

Williams Formula 1 engineer Paul Jepson will swap his tools for a race suit and helmet this season when he goes behind the wheel of a Caterham R400.

Jepson is to contest the Autosport Caterham Superlight Challenge in what will be his third season of racing. The Wantage-based racer took up the sport in 2004 in the evo Caterham Academy.

"I'm really looking forward to progressing to the R400 after two years in a Roadsport," said Paul, "and I'm hopeful of being able to make it to all the rounds of the championship, although I do have a few pressing commitments elsewhere!"

Jepson, 35, is a control systems engineer with Williams, tending to the Cosworth-powered FW28s of team drivers Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg, Alex Wurz and Narain Karthikeyan, chiefly during test sessions rather than race weekends.

After success in 2004 - Paul was an Academy runner-up and won rounds at Aintree, Castle Combe and Silverstone - work got in the way of his 2005 Roadsport B campaign and he was able to attend only two events. Jepson is currently seeking sponsorship: "I'll be having a word with Sir Frank later, but I'm not holding my breath," he quipped.

Jepson's rivals in the R400 class will include 2005 Roadsport B runner-up Patrick Gormley and several other graduating Roadsport racers such as Stuart Dixon, Stuart Smith and Patrick Maher.

Meanwhile, latest recruit to the championship's premier division, that for the new 2-litre Cosworth-powered Superlight chassis, is successful former saloons racer Andrew Middleton. The Derbyshire-based driver will be making his Caterham debut after racking up class wins in production saloons, Porsche 944s and Clubmans cars. Middleton was in the Birkett 6 Hour relay race winning team in 2000.

There is a formidable and growing line-up for the Superlight grid, including Caterham champions Guy Harrington, Rachel Green, Graham Fennymore and Doug Clark; Caterham race victors Bill Addison, Nick Payne, Andrew Beaumont, Tony Poole, Ben Dezille Butler and James Gardiner, as well as promising youngster Charles Bateman.

The Autosport Caterham Superlight Challenge blasts into action at Oulton Park at Easter (15-17 April), playing a key supporting role to the British Formula 3 International Championship and the Avon Tyres British GT Championship.

Backers for Caterham Motorsport's UK and European race series include Autosport, Bilstein, Brian James Trailers, Caged, Cheesman Products, Comma, Cosworth, Cooper-Avon Tyres, Demon Tweeks, evo, HSBC Insurance Brokers, Mitchell Cotts, Motorsport News and Stack.

See series calendars for all 2006 Caterham Championships

Related Story 16.02.2006 - 50 New Racers on the Grid with Caterham Academy