The Carlin team has started focusing on the 2008 British F3 International Series and F3 Euroseries seasons after taking delivery of its new Dallara F308 machine.

While the Carlin British F3 team concludes its 2007 testing in Valencia, work is already underway to transfer the real-life F308 to a 1:3 model for the Carlin wind tunnel, with local company Physical Digital working on the F308 to produce cloud point data of the new car by a process of digitisation.

Scanning the car with special photographic equipment, the cloud point data - which provides surface images - can then be broken down by Carlin's technical director David Brown, who will produce detailed technical drawings and CAD programming to create the model – which will then be used in the Carlin wind tunnel at Chessington.

“Unlike previous seasons, we now have the facilities and resources to be able to produce all the data and drawings we need accurately and quickly,” he said. “With our new software, we should be able to begin conversion of the surface images into full technical drawings in just a few weeks, with the aim to have the model in the wind tunnel by the end of March.”

Team Principal Trevor Carlin added that early impressions of the new car were positive and he was confident that the work carried out now would be beneficial for the start of the season.

“From first appearances, the F308 looks to be a particularly impressive car and based on Dallara's record, I'm sure it will prove to be as good as the previous models,” he said. “Dallara do a fantastic job, our ambition is simply to get a better understanding of the car and hone certain areas, and of course any improvements we can make early on in the life of the F308 will give us an advantage on track.

“With our new F3 Euro Series commitments, we now have an added reason to get the new wind tunnel model up and running as soon as possible.”