One of the quickest of the quick in British club racing in the early 1980s, Julian overcame a huge shunt to win the Formula Ford Festival in 1982. Lack of cash restricted his movement upwards, but he made it to Formula Three by 1985 and on to Formula 3000 by 1987, where he won once, at Brands Hatch. Julian finally made it to Formula One in 1988, racing for Tyrrell, but he chose a year when Tyrrell was not competitive; he often failed to qualify and collected no points. It looked as though he had had his shot and missed. Ever resourceful, Julian raised the money to buy a seat at Lotus in 1991 and scored his best finish, a sixth place at the San Marino Grand Prix, before his money ran out after four races. He continued to race, mainly in sports cars, for another decade before retiring after the 2002 Le Mans. Since he has occupied himself with the ownership of a gastro pub, The William Bray at Shere, and property developing. He has also commentated on F1 for ESPN Star and was a stand-in Stig on the BBC's Top Gear.
Martin Williamson