Trevor Carlin: “Spectators don't care if a gearbox costs a million dollars”

Is motorsport currently moving in the right direction?

Until the forced pause linked to Covid-19, everything was starting to go in the right direction with cost reduction. And it was necessary. There F1 is too expensive, even though there is no reason for that to be the case. If we take the example ofIndyCar, it is much less expensive and the races remain very spectacular. Spectators don't care if a gearbox costs a million dollars. They want great racing and spectacle.

What do you think of the cap budget put in place by F1 next season?

It's a real step forward and above all, it will encourage teams to join F1. I repeat it often but, in my opinion, you need a strong F1 for the F2 and F3 are too. Formula 1 is the locomotive.

What would be your ideas for making the car better?

I am a great enthusiast and I love our sport as it is. The only thing I like less today is that cars are getting heavier and heavier. Only on fast tracks are the passing speeds incredible. On circuits with medium or low speed corners, single-seaters are slow because they are too heavy. And the heavier they are, the more security elements must be added. I have the impression that every year, we add 50 kg to cars. An F2 car with 100 kg of fuel weighs around 900 kg at the start of a race. It's as heavy as some road cars! At the factory I have a 3 F2001. Do you know how much it weighs?

Half less...

It weighed 525 kilos with the pilot inside! That's what makes me sad. The only positive thing is that the cars are safer.

Is the single-seater too expensive?

Motorsport has always been expensive and has been since the beginning. You have to spend money to be fast. F1 and Formula E are ridiculously expensive, but as far as other disciplines are concerned, I think it's reasonable.

Doesn't this whole pyramid offer cars that are too fast and therefore expensive?

I'm happy with the speed of the F3s and, in all honesty, I think the F2s should be even faster. They are very far from F1 in terms of performance and are barely faster than F3. Upgrading a car doesn't necessarily mean paying more. That's what I was saying about weight: if the car is lighter, it will be faster, without costing anything. And if it's lighter, you need less brakes, power, tires, suspension... So it doesn't cost you more.