Carlin has become the first organisation to announce its participation as a team in the new eSkootr Championship (eSC), committing to a three-rider squad.
Launched last July, eSC will run its first competitive events later this year.
Carlin has achieved success across almost every level of motorsport, including an unsurpassed title-winning run in the British Formula 3 series and championships in Formula 2, Formula Renault 3.5 and F4.
More recently, it has successfully expanded into North America, where it currently contests the IndyCar Series, and in endurance racing with campaigns in the European Le Mans Series.
Carlin’s list of successful graduates includes current Formula 1 drivers Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz Jr and Lando Norris, as well as Indianapolis 500 winners Takuma Sato and Will Power, and Formula E champions Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa.
Carlin will announce its full eSkootr rider line-up ahead of a pre-season test programme, which takes place in early summer.
“When we first heard about eSC we were really intrigued to learn more,” said Carlin founder and team principal, Trevor Carlin.
“As a race team and a business, we’re always interested in exploring the possibilities of new series, particularly those which look to break the mould and pioneer new technologies.
“We began to evaluate eSC’s potential – and we very quickly understood what opportunities it offered.
“What really appeals to us about eSC is its affordability and accessibility. It really takes a new approach in terms of racing, technology and the overlap into real-life mobility.
“We take delivery of our three eSkootrs in the next few months, and we’re already looking at candidates for the seats.”
The eSC has been co-founded by co-founder of The Sports Marketing Group Hrag Sarkissian and chief operating officer Khalil Beschir, an F1 broadcaster and former A1GP race driver for his home country Lebanon.
It has also former F1 drivers and World Endurance Championship stars Lucas di Grassi and Alexander Wurz among its driving forces and founding stakeholders.
Audi Formula E driver di Grassi raced against the Carlin team when he competed in British F3 for Hitech in 2004 and believes that its entry into eSC illustrates the growing attraction of its sustainable sporting philosophy.
“Carlin is one of the most serious and prestigious names in international motorsport, so I’m really pleased that they’ll be joining eSC as a team entrant,” said di Grassi, who holds the title of eSC sustainability ambassador.
“I think they’ll be just as successful on two wheels as they have been on four.
“We’ve now filled the first of our 10 team slots, and we’re talking to a diverse number of other operations – so we’re moving fast, and showing the benefits of diversifying into micromobility sports.”
The electric scooters to be used in eSC will be built in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, which also provides technology for both the new Extreme E series and for the next generation of Formula E car which will hit the tracks next year.
“As well as working with Carlin to supply them with eSkootrs and equipment, we’re undertaking final chassis prototype trials and talking to a number of other international teams. We’ll have some exciting further announcements very soon,” said Beschir.
“eSC has been designed to champion progressive micromobility policies and as an advocacy platform promoting smarter, cleaner and safer mobility in cities.
“It is developing an international sporting calendar and infrastructure that will encourage diversity and inclusivity from a new generation of motorsport competitors worldwide.”
