Jenrick Armitage-Barnes IV

### Born

Jenrick George William Francis Gregory Armitage-Barnes IV9 September 1964 (age 48)

Ascot, England

## Formula One Career

### Teams

Lola, Sauber, Arrows, Margheriti, McLaren

### Last entry

2004 United States Grand Prix

**Jenrick George William Francis Gregory Armitage-Barnes IV** is a British racing driver and aristocrat, who previously raced in Formula One.

He made his Formula One debut during the 1993 season for Lola, scoring just a single point throughout the season.

## Early Life

Born **Jenrick George William Francis Gregory Armitage-Barnes IV**, Jenrick had an incredibly privileged upbringing, being raised as part of the English Nobility in his home of Ascot. His mother Mary owns a considerable amount of land and lives in a large country house in the area. Mary used some of her wealth to invest in racing ventures and was friends with many in the motorsport industry, including Colin Chapman. Despite this, she tried her hardest to dissuade Jenrick from getting into racing. His father, Jenrick III, was a officer in the Royal Navy and fought in the Second World War. He would retire from the Navy in 1982 at the conclusion of the Falklands War with the rank of Admiral.

Jenrick never knew his father and his mother has never revealed his identity, although he was rumoured to be an Irish racing driver. Jenrick discovered the identity of his father in a 2004 episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, the episode revealing that his father was in fact Alex Plunkett.

## Racing Career

Jenrick began his racing career in Formula Fords, racing under the pseudonym "Jeremy Jacobi Jones" to conceal his racing pursuits from his family.

Using the wealth he had inherited from his family, he managed to buy a seat at Lola for the 1993 Formula One Season, despite a lack of experience. The highlight of his season came at the 1993 German Grand Prix, where he finished in second place, but was later disqualified on a technical infringement.

Despite a lack of success in motorsport, Jenrick has attracted the support of a small but highly enthusiastic group of fans from across the world, but especially in Japan. Fans of Armitage-Barnes call themselves "Jenrickans."

## Personal Life

Jenrick is a member of the Barnes family and is related to fellow racing driver Archibald Barnes. He is a keen golfer and currently holds a handicap of +3. He currently resides in a sprawling manor on the outskirts of his hometown of Ascot.

### TV Appearances

In late 2004, Armitage-Barnes IV appeared on the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?, hoping to trace his ancestral history.

Armitage-Barnes uncovered several centuries of his family and finally discovered who his father was, with the racing driver on the verge of tears as his identity was revealed in the final minutes of the show. Jenrick's furthest ancestor was an English knight in the 12th Century. They participated in the Second Crusade, achieving fame at the Siege of Ascalon in 1153 before returning to England and being gifted land by King Stephen in the current area where the Barnes family estate is located.

As the episode progressed, Jenrick learned that many of his ancestors in the 18th and 19th Centuries were members of the British Parliament, using the family's substantial wealth to elevate themselves into high positions in society. In the final minutes of the show, Armitage-Barnes finally uncovered who his real father was. It was revealed that Jenrick's father was the Irish racing driver Alex Plunkett. Plunkett was active in Formula One from the late 1960's until his death in a crash during the 1975 Belgian Grand Prix. Plunkett won 10 races in Formula One and went on to win the 1973 Formula One World Championship. Outside of racing, he was best known for his partying lifestyle and heavy drinking and despite never marrying had several high-profile relationships. Plunkett was just 18 when he met Lady Mary Barnes at a Formula Two racing event at Crystal Palace. Mary was 20 at the time and was engaged. Despite this, she started a secret relationship with Plunkett that lasted several months. Jenrick was born in September 1964 and Mary would keep the identity of his father a total secret out of a fear that it would create a scandal. Jenrick was visibly moved by the news, saying at the time:

> "Gosh, that's just incredible... I never could have imagined that I would be related to a racing driver like that."
>
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