Carlin concluded on-track preparations for the 2010 GP3 season yesterday, as Dean Smith, Josef Newgarden and Lucas Foresti completed a successful test for the British squad at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. With pre-season testing over, the Carlin drivers now look forward to the first race in Barcelona in May for their next on-track action.

Dean Smith put in a strong performance in Barcelona, confirming the belief shown in him by the Racing Steps Foundation and Tomax Management , who have helped the McLaren Autosport Award winner secure his 2010 drive with Carlin. The British racer was a consistent front runner throughout the two day test and finished the final session of the test fourth quickest.

Newly confirmed Carlin driver Josef Newgarden also showed impressive speed – the American racer appears to be coping well with the transition from Formula Ford to the powerful GP3 car. Newgarden was 11th in the first session of testing at the Barcelona circuit and was consistently on the edge of the top ten for the duration of the test.

Also taking part in the Barcelona test with Carlin was Formula 3 driver Lucas Foresti. The 17 year-old Brazilian will complete a dual programme with Carlin as he competes in both the British Formula 3 Series and the opening round of the GP3 season in a bid to build up as much experience as possible racing in Europe.

"I'm very happy to have this opportunity to also compete in GP3", said Foresti. "The category is new, but already comes with great potential, status and visibility. The races will run alongside F1 in Europe and with it I know a lot of people will be watching our performance. The car is very fast, very well balanced and really is quite different from F3. I will focus on both GP3 and F3 which together will provide me with a great opportunity and a great chance to gain more experience."

Carlin Racing Director Trevor Carlin added, "I'm extremely pleased with the team's progress over the last two days of pre-season testing. We've followed a very thorough test programme and Dean has shown the car is capable of being at the front while Josef and Lucas are building up their pace with every session. Despite it being only the first season of GP3, the Series has emerged as a great place to watch the most talented drivers of the moment and I think they'll be some great races this season. I firmly believe that we have the package to able to fight for the podium from the outset."