Jamie Caroline is targeting the British Formula 4 title as he joins reigning champion Carlin for his second season in the series.
Caroline was one of the front runners in his debut season in open wheel racing, taking five podium finishes and a single win on his way to 10th in the championship.
The 18-year-old competed with Jamun Racing and Fortec Motorsport last season, but will now switch to Carlin, completing their four car line up.
“The aim is to help them challenge for the title for a third year in a row,” Caroline said. “I wanted to return to British F4 this season to fight for the championship, and I’m sure that joining Carlin gives me an ideal platform from which to do so.
“Testing has gone well and it hasn’t taken long for me to get back up to speed in the car, so I’m confident that when we go to Brands Hatch to start the season, the Carlin-run Pirtek Racing car will be right on the pace, as it was during our recent test there.”
Caroline is expecting a tough fight for the title this season, saying he already believes there are “half a dozen drivers” who he’ll be battling against at the front of the field, but he thinks he’s ready for the challenge.
Carlin are also confident in their new signing.
“In pre-season testing he has been fully committing himself and working extremely well with the team,” said team boss Trevor Carlin. “It’s going to be very exciting to see what he can achieve this season as we fully expect that he’ll be a title challenger.”
There were suggestions Caroline may have taken the step up to British Formula 3 after competing in the Autumn championship there last season, but he decided the opportunity to take the F4 crown was too good to pass up.
Caroline will once again run the Pirtek Racing colours for a third consecutive season.
Image credit: Caroline Rhea
