Carlin is also a big fan of Red Bull’s Verstappen, who he admits immediately made an impression on him.
“I’ve been doing this quite a long time and I’ve seen a lot of motor racing,” Carlin said. “It’s not just the drivers who have driven for us – Max Verstappen never drove for us but I saw him testing in Valencia when he’d come straight from karting and we were timing him and thought that’s not possible.
“Ultimately we realised what he was doing was real. I remember talking to someone the next day and I said if you can, put some money on this kid because he’s going to be world champion one day! And he will be, it’s only a matter of time.
“You have a gut feeling. It’s not scientific. People, like myself, they know talent when they see it. They always deliver the results.”
Practice for the British Grand Prix starts on Friday morning, with qualifying scheduled to take place on Saturday.
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