Paul Meijer
Paul Meijer | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 27, 1985 Netherlands |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Known for | Benelux Formula Renault champion, Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux driver |
Paul Ronald Johan Meijer (born 27 March 1985) is a Dutch professional racing driver and former champion of the Benelux Formula Renault series. He is presently active in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux driving for Hans Weijs Motorsport.
Career
Meijer started karting at the age of 10, competing both nationally and internationally. In 2001, he secured victory in a driving competition hosted by Avaya Communications, which awarded him a full season in the Dutch Toyota Yaris Cup.
In 2002, former Formula One competitor Jan Lammers introduced Meijer to Formula Ford with the Racing for Holland team. There, he participated in the Benelux Formula Ford Championship and conducted tests in the DOME S101 sports car.
The following year, Meijer claimed the title in the Formula Renault 2.0 Netherlands championship with AR Motorsport and made his debut in the European Championship of the same series. As the Dutch champion, he undertook testing sessions in a Formula Renault V6 and subsequently a Formula 3 vehicle with Fortec at Silverstone. The Italian squad Vergani Racing invited him to compete in the World Series Light by Nissan; after testing at Albacete and Jarama where he posted fastest laps, he finished third during the final race weekend.
In 2004, Meijer finished sixth overall in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship with AR Motorsport, achieving several podium finishes including three runner-up results. Simultaneously, he took part in seven of twelve rounds of the Benelux Formula Renault 2.0 Championship, winning six races and finishing second once.
Due to difficulties securing sponsorship, Meijer did not obtain a racing seat during 2005 and 2006. In 2007, after a break of two and a half years, AR Motorsport invited him for testing; he quickly set pole position during practice. This performance encouraged team principal Ronald Heiligers to obtain backing from Marius Ritskes (Antonov Transmissions) to enable Meijer to compete in the last three weekends of the North European Championship of Formula Renault 2.0 (NEC). Throughout these events, Meijer won two out of six races and secured second place in four others.
Additionally, Ritskes arranged for Meijer to test a Lamborghini Gallardo with Hans Reiter's team in Spain; after completing 40 laps, Meijer's efforts were highly praised by the squad.
In 2008, acting as a guest driver for multiple teams, Meijer accepted a wildcard entry with Dutch outfit MP Motorsport in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series. Despite having no prior experience with this team and competing against a strong field of 48 drivers, he triumphed in the race held on Sunday, 4 May.
Superleague Formula
When Borussia Dortmund's designated driver was unable to attend the Superleague Formula event at Zolder, Paul was recruited through assistance from Tom Coronel. With limited preparation—only two practice sessions lasting thirty minutes each—he earned pole position and finished third amid wet conditions, demonstrating his capability within this high-powered 750 hp motorsport category.
As a newcomer, Paul impressed sufficiently to secure a seat with Al Ain for the final three rounds at Estoril, Vallelunga, and Jerez. He won the second race at Estoril; however, his season ended prematurely due to a broken hand sustained during first practice at Vallelunga.
Complete Formula Renault 2.0 NEC results
(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole position; those in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | AR Motorsport | ZAN 1 |
ZAN 2 |
OSC 1 |
OSC 2 |
ASS 1 |
ASS 2 |
ZOL 1 |
ZOL 2 |
NUR 1 |
NUR 2 |
OSC 1 1 |
OSC 2 2 |
SPA 1 1 |
SPA 2 2 |
HOC 1 2 |
HOC 2 2 |
7th | 156 |
Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results
(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions; races in italics signify fastest laps)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | MP Motorsport | SPA 1 Retired |
SPA 2 1st |
11th | 21 |
Superleague Formula results
(key)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Borussia Dortmund Zakspeed |
DON | DON | NÜR | NÜR | ZOL 3rd |
ZOL 11th |
14th | 218† | ||||||
| Al Ain Azerti Motorsport |
EST 12th |
EST 1st |
VAL | VAL | JER | JER | 12th | 244† |
† - Refers to team classification.