Carlin started off the F3 season with a win at Oulton Park in April and the team’s driver Maro Engel currently lies joint second in the driver standings.
As Carlin begin their first season with the team’s new factory at Chessington fully operational, Trevor Carlin looks at the ingredients for a successful race team and the impact the new factory will make on the team’s efforts...
There are five crucial ingredients to success in racing; budget, engines, team, cars and race drivers. If you have even a 5 per cent shortfall in any of these areas then you will lose. This is a fluid structure as well, one season you might have everything just right, and the next, it doesn’t quite come together. The Carlin team works so well because we have people on every level, who appreciate this and are expertise in their own fields and are continually striving to improve.
Firstly, budget is as important in motorsport as it is in any industry. Motorsport is unfortunately a very expensive business, which means it can be a prohibitive for some. Once you have a good reputation and a record of winning, you are able to attract the best drivers, and of course, as is in the nature or any competitive business, people are willing to pay more for a better product. Having a top budget is essential in order to employ the best people and give them what they need to do the job.
Engines, apart from the choice of make in Formula 3, are out of our control but a good relationship with the engine builder, often borne out of on-track success, ensures that you get the best available. In the case of F3, it seemed that our Mercedes competitors had a slight performance advantage last season, and we had to address that in order to remain at the front.
