A CHAMPIONSHIP, TAYLOR-MADE

The 2022 270R season was characterised by the same drivers who between them had dominated their Academy class in 2020 and Roadsport in 2021: Taylor O’Flanagan, Domenique Mannsperger and Hugo Bush.

The Caterham Seven 270R Championship represents the middle stage of a Caterham Motorsport driver’s life cycle as a racing driver, a championship that many consider as the “coming of age” series having raced for two years previously. Now in year three, drivers will be using all of the lessons learned in Academy and Roadsport to full effect, as their race car also evolves further with more upgrades to enhance its performance. Scott Woodwiss gets under the skin of the 2022 season.

This trio were at it right from the off at the Brands Hatch opener, with Bush claiming pole for Saturday’s race alongside O’Flanagan while Mannsperger was back in eighth place. Sure enough, all three drivers were out in front together from the outset until Mannsperger dropped back halfway through, leaving Bush and O’Flanagan dicing between each other for the next 15 minutes. But neither had counted on Michael Chaplain stealing victory on the final sprint to the flag, beating the pair in the process. More battles continued all race long on Sunday, as O’Flanagan drove away to a 2.3 second victory ahead of Mannsperger and Ben Buckley, who picked up third place.

O’Flanagan only needed the run to Riches Corner at Snetterton’s first race to take the lead from the front row in the Saturday race, but he was challenged all the way through by Philip Bianchi who managed to lead for several laps and looked on course to win. But a last gasp move from O’Flanagan in the final sprint saw him just steal victory by five thousandths of a second, while Bush picked up 3rd just four tenths back. Sunday’s action was just as frantic with an intense eight car leading group, but once again O’Flanagan found a way to pull away, taking his third win in a row once again from Bush and Mannsperger. The usual trio then set about dominating the Silverstone GP races by themselves, with O’Flanagan yet again on top on Saturday before Bianchi joined in the fun the next day as part of an epic lead battle, but he ended up in seventh while Mannsperger won the sprint to the flag ahead of O’Flanagan.

Donington Park had no change in the form book and more of the same back and forth battles between the usual suspects at the front, as Mannsperger continued his win streak with another photo finish against O’Flanagan and Bush in third, then found himself with 15 seconds worth of time penalties which denied him second behind winner O’Flanagan, giving the podium spots to Chaplain and Bush. Over at Anglesey, it was Bianchi and Bush that ended up trading the lead the most between them in the first race but Bianchi was left to take the win after Bush mistook the brake pedal for the clutch on the final lap and dropped back; O’Flanagan won the duel for third place too. Then the next day, O’Flanagan and Mannsperger almost threw away the lead and second respectively with contact on the final lap at the Rocket complex, but managed to survive and hold position ahead of a bemused Bush in third.

With just two weekends left, there was still the three-way championship scrap to settle as the contenders landed at Knockhill in Scotland. In the regular direction on Saturday, Bush got the jump on O’Flanagan before both drivers had to submit to eventual winner Mannsperger after yet another thrilling three way fight all the way to the finish. Switching directions for Sunday, the trio were joined by Bianchi and Toby Boyes and after a constant bun fight over the top five places, Bush finally took his first win after gapping O’Flanagan in second and leaving Mannsperger to just pip Bianchi for third.

O’Flanagan headed to the final rounds at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium with the 270R title in his grasp, but didn’t help his cause by retiring from the first race as Mannsperger clinched victory and fastest lap from Bush and Boyes. However, a charge back to second and his own fastest lap in race two allowed Taylor O’Flanagan to capture the Caterham Seven 270R Championship crown, as Mannsperger doubled up on victories to claim runner up spot in points ahead of Bush in third.

The second step on the Caterham Motorsport ladder is the Caterham Roadsport Championship, which features drivers that have progressed up from their freshman racing season in their respective Academy groups to combine onto one grid together. With minor upgrades including a grippier specification of Avon tyre, the drivers here are ready to continue racing with the friends they made in the Academy whilst also facing some new adversaries along the way. Scott Woodwiss reviews a year’s great racing.