TREVOR CARLIN: I EXPECT LANDO NORRIS TO BE WORLD CHAMPION
Trevor Carlin tells us in this readers’ Q&A that his team’s aim, wherever it competes, is “to win and to help train drivers”. It’s accurate, but it also feels like the understatement of the century.
His eponymous Carlin team these days competes in Formula 1’s direct feeder series FIAFormula 2 and Formula 3, as well as Euroformula Open, British F3 and Formula 4, and the European and Asian Le Mans Series, and is decorated in most of them. It also has experienced winning in Porsche Supercup, World Series by Nissan, Formula Renault 3.5, FIAF3 European championship and A1GP.Also, following successful Indy Lights campaigns, Carlin since 2018 has even added IndyCar to its roster.
Plus, as intimated, this is only the half of it. Since starting in 1997, Carlin’s role in developing driver talent has been close to other-worldly. This is evidenced by the alumni: to name a few we have Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris, Josef Newgarden, Robert Kubica, Will Power, Jean-Eric Vergne, Antonio Felix da Costa and Takuma Sato.
So let’s start with the glaring question.
Question: Who have you most been impressed with who has raced under the Carlin banner?
Martin Farrington Via Facebook
Trevor Carlin: “That’s a pretty impossible question to answer. There’s been too many impressive drivers over the years for different reasons. Without getting into specifics I couldn’t possibly say which one. There’ve been 10s, twenties, thirties of decent people that have impressed me, so I couldn’t possibly pick one individual.”
Question: They’re famous for developing young talent, but who’s the most complete junior single-seater driver the team has ever worked with? Who needed the least mentoring to reach a high level of performance?
Damian Meaden Via Facebook
TC: “Certainly Sebastian Vettel arrived instantly on the pace when he started driving for us and was very laidback, very confident and delivered and always got great results with very little fuss. So he was certainly the one that stood out as [he] just arrived and was ready to go.
“Obviously we’ve had many good drivers since, and none of them are 100% complete. When they’re junior drivers they’re always learning. But someone that arrives, wins the first weekend he drives for you and goes on to become a four-time world champion you’d have to say that’s pretty hard to beat.
“We’re very very lucky, we’ve had fantastic drivers come to us who need very little work. You’ve got someone like Felipe Nasr, he arrived and was quick straight away. So there’s lots and lots.”
MN: What was Vettel like to work with?
“Oh he was an absolute dream. He was super professional, he kept himself to himself away from the track, he’d arrive in the morning, always be
