05/03/2010
NEWS STORY
Carlin got off to a promising start in the inaugural GP3 test this week, following two days testing at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France. The team started the test in the best possible fashion as the first cars in the 30 strong field to take to the track on Thursday morning. After a strong test which provided a wealth of feedback and data, Carlin test drivers Max Chilton and Adriano Buzaid were third and fourth quickest respectively.
As the first ever GP3 test session got underway yesterday morning, it was Buzaid and Chilton who were the first to test the GP3 machinery. Chilton remained at the top of the time sheets for the majority of the morning, eventually finishing the first ever GP3 session second overall, while Lucas Foresti in the third Carlin car was sixth quickest.
As the team worked through a few teething problems in the afternoon, Foresti continued to rack up the laps and gather data for the team. At the end of the first day of running, Foresti was tenth, while a last minute dash by Chilton saw him go P6, despite only seven laps on track.
Encouraged by the first day of running, the Carlin team were back on track on Friday morning, with Chilton fourth and Foresti seventh. The afternoon session saw Buzaid make up for a lack of running in previous sessions, as he completed 65 laps around the Paul Ricard circuit, with his quickest lap putting him fourth overall. Chilton was also happy behind the wheel of the Carlin GP3 car, setting the third fastest time of the two day test.
Speaking about the test, GP2 racer Chilton said, "We had good overall performance this week, despite a few little mechanical issues. It was good to be back with my old team and helping them develop the GP3 car for the season ahead. I'm pretty impressed with the car; it's really nice to drive and handles like a junior GP2 car, so I think it will be an exciting season for the GP3 drivers."
Carlin race director Trevor Carlin was pleased with his team's performance adding, "It's been a great start to our GP3 campaign this week. We've had a few teething problems as you would expect in any new championship but these have been dealt with very well by both the team and the championship organisers. We've been impressed with the quality of the car and its characteristics on the track. All three drivers have provided positive feedback and we gained a huge amount of information that will help us going forwards."