Jason Parrott will start off his British Kart Championship campaign this weekend after competing in two season-opening races in Italy.

At the first, the Winter Cup at Garda, Jason was fast all weekend only to be struck by mechanical gremlins at the start of the semi-final. Last weekend, at the Margutti Trophy in Parma, he was in the top five all day but was hit from behind at the start, putting him a lap down and out of contention.

Jason will again compete in the British, Italian and European Championships, with the season culminating in the World Championships in France at the end of September. Before that, he will take in races in Japan, Germany, Portugal and Italy, as well as the slightly less exotic but nonetheless very competitive Super One British Championship. Last year the series went down to the wire, with Jason one of the five drivers still fighting for the title at the last race. Jason was one of the unlucky four but with his new deal he should be able to push his rivals that bit further this year.

There’s an added incentive for karters in the three Renault-backed Super One classes to get an early advantage on their rivals at Three Sisters. The championship leaders in Formula A, ICA and JICA will all get a behind the scenes look at the world of Formula One as guests of Renault F1 Team during a test day at Silverstone in April. Jason attended this event in 2005 as the mid-season leader, and also had the chance to test a Formula Renault car during the off-season.

The first British race will take place this weekend at Three Sisters near Wigan. For the latest news on the races and championships, visit www.renaultsport.co.uk