The Carlin Formula Renault 3.5 series team are considering skipping the 2014 season due to a lack of funds. The team has already missed both pre-season tests at Aragon and Jerez. They were close to turning up for this weeks Jerez test but decided to skip it in the end.
“We’re still working on deals, and we haven’t quite managed to get anything together yet,” said team boss Trevor Carlin to Autosport. “We were close this week but we didn’t quite manage it, unfortunately. We want to do it, but not at any cost. If we have to take a sabbatical then we will, although I don’t know if Renault Sport will allow that.”
Carlin took Mikhail Aleshin and Robert Wickens to consecutive drivers titles in the series in 2010 and 2011, while they also have teams in the GP2, GP3 and British and European Formula 3 championships. Trevor Carlin has been part of Formula Renault 3.5 since 2003 (when it was the World Series by Nissan – it became World Series by Renault in 2005), and Carlin has a lot of praise for the series but admits the costs to run in the series are hampering the team.
“We love the championship, we are one of the longest-standing teams, but we’re not going to do it at any cost. World Series has been good to us in the past, and we’re prepared to invest in it. But the amount that we would currently have to invest is not sustainable.”
The season begins April 12th-13th at the legendary Monza track in Italy, and Carlin is hopeful his team will be able to race along with the other eleven teams.
“Fingers crossed, that’s all I can say really. We certainly haven’t stopped trying. If other teams are choosing to give drives away that’s up to them, but we’re not in a position to do that.”
