The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League has recently issued a warning about the challenges of establishing a successful IndyCar team in America. Carlin, a team that previously competed in American single-seaters, serves as a prime example of this difficulty. Carlin no longer exists in IndyCar or Indy Lights, and it has even undergone a name change to Rodin Motorsports. Trevor Carlin, the founder of the team, has been removed from his position, and his wife Stephanie, who played a crucial role in the team’s operations, has moved on to a new job at McLaren.
Although Carlin’s foray into IndyCar may be a distant memory for some, the team was still competing in the series just a couple of years ago. It initially joined the Indy Lights field in 2015 and achieved success by winning the championship in its second season with Ed Jones. However, Carlin decided to make the leap to IndyCar in 2018 with a two-car team. The team finished 17th with Charlie Kimball and 19th with Max Chilton that season. Kimball’s 17th-place finish tied Conor Daly’s performance in 2020 as the team’s best drivers’ championship result.
Throughout its four-year stint in IndyCar, Carlin struggled to achieve significant success. The team only managed to secure one top-five finish and 14 additional top-10 finishes. Various factors contributed to Carlin’s lack of success. The intense competition in IndyCar makes it challenging for two-car teams to thrive, as the larger teams tend to attract the best personnel. Carlin initially started as a two-car team but later downsized to one car, which put them at a disadvantage in terms of data and resources compared to teams with multiple cars.
Another obstacle for Carlin was the constant turnover of personnel, with many individuals from England joining the team. This made it difficult to establish a cohesive learning environment and culture while striving to compete at a high level. Additionally, Carlin faced challenges in keeping up with the damper development and aero testing strategies employed by the top teams in IndyCar.
Carlin’s decision to set up in Florida also presented challenges. While it provided access to different individuals within the motorsport community, it meant losing out on the experienced staff that typically congregates in Indy. Ultimately, Carlin lacked the financial backing and resources necessary to run a competitive two-car team. Even when they downsized to one car, they struggled to make up for the loss of data and catch up on race weekends.
Despite its shortcomings, Carlin did manage to achieve some successes. Most of its technical data and parts were sold to Juncos, a team that has established itself in IndyCar. Juncos started with one car and then expanded to two cars, which was the opposite approach taken by Carlin. The performance of Juncos’ cars received praise, indicating that Carlin provided a solid foundation in terms of data and equipment.
In comparison to Carlin, Prema is currently ahead of Rodin in the F2 standings. Both teams were founded by individuals with a deep passion for junior single-seater racing and have grown into successful teams over the years. They have faced challenges competing against larger and more established teams but have managed to achieve championship success.
Prema is well aware of Carlin’s transition to IndyCar and the challenges it faced. Rosin, the team’s spokesperson, emphasized that they are not looking to compare themselves to Carlin and that the move happened a while ago. The goal of Prema’s move to America is to combine the best aspects of both worlds. They want to operate from the US and be as close to the action as possible. Prema aims to bring their strengths to the US while also learning from and adapting to the way things work in IndyCar.
In the past, Prema has shown that they can be competitive right from the start. They have even won championships on their debut, as they did in GP2 in 2016 with Pierre Gasly and Antonio Giovinazzi. However, they acknowledge that it will be challenging, especially since they are in a different continent and competing against experienced teams in a high-level series. Nevertheless, Prema sees this as an exciting new challenge and will do their best to learn and adapt quickly in order to achieve results as soon as possible.
One area that Carlin explored but didn’t fully realize was establishing a technical partnership with another team. These partnerships can be beneficial for smaller teams by providing assistance, information, and even sharing engineers and car parts. However, they can be difficult to secure, expensive, and limited to teams using the same engine. Prema, which will be using Chevrolet engines, has expressed interest in exploring a technical tie-up if it proves advantageous. This could be an interesting development to watch as Prema prepares for its debut in 2025.
Prema appears to have more resources and ample time to assemble its drivers, personnel, and sponsors before entering the series. This should significantly reduce the risk of a Carlin-like downfall. The team’s base in Indiana and its emphasis on being US-based with a blend of European and Indianapolis-based talent further strengthens its position. Prema is known for its meticulous planning and preparation, ensuring it is well-equipped for immediate success rather than solely focusing on long-term goals.
While the competition and the challenge of recruiting top staff will undoubtedly be tough, Prema’s track record in other racing disciplines suggests that they are well-prepared for this new venture. They have successfully expanded into prototype sportscar racing and karting without any major setbacks. Prema is confident in its ability to make the right moves and avoid mistakes as it enters the world of IndyCar.