He was also keen to stress that Carlin's impressive reputation within the championship – securing four series' crowns since 2001 – did not put him under any additional pressure for his maiden assault on the honours.
“It just boosts my confidence,” the Cumbrian-born ace underlined. “They're a great team and great guys to work with, and so far we've been working together really well. The team did a good job getting the new car ready for the first test, and on the first official day at Pembrey the car was quick straightaway, straight out of the box. It felt really good, we've been developing the car since and it's all going really well.
“Pre-season testing has gone very well. We were quickest at Pembrey, and since then we've been generally in the top three at nearly every track we've been to. We've had a few technical problems, but the team has sorted those now so this weekend we should hopefully be up at the front and my aim is to try and get onto the podium in both races.
“It's fantastic what the Racing Steps Foundation have done to try to support young drivers, and they're giving me all the support I need really, both financially and also with everything else I need to be successful. It was amazing to find out I had sponsorship to be able to race in British F3 thanks to them – it's so hard to get the money these days. That does take a lot of pressure off you because you're not worrying about the season.
“I'm really excited for the season, because this is the first time I've had a proper budget in place and a real chance to be with a top team; it's the first time I've been able to do any winter testing and prepare properly for the season ahead. There are a couple of second-year drivers who are quick, but there are also a lot of new rookies who are all very quick. It's a long championship, and first of all I've got to get my first race win and just see how it goes.
