Tag: caterham f1 team

Kamui Kobayashi confirmed for Caterham at Abu Dhabi GP

The Caterham F1 Team has announced that Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi will race for the team in the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This follows confirmation last week that the Caterham F1 team will be racing at the Yas Marina circuit following a desperate crowd funding campaign to help race funds to keep them on the grid.

Kobayashi returns to the grid to fill the seat of Marcus Ericsson who announced that he has cut ties with the Caterham team with immediate effect and us such will not be racing in Abu Dhabi. Le Mans champ, Andre Lotter turned down the chance to return to F1 with the team saying that, “It was nice to do Formula 1 but I want to do it in better conditions, in terms of track position”.

Caterham are yet to confirm who will drive alongside Kobayashi. It’s likely to be one of three candidates – Roberto Mehri, Max Chilton or even Rubens Barrichello. The team have said that they will announce Kobayashi’s team mate for the race “in due course”.

Kobayashi is looking forward to being back on the grid again and had this to say: “I am happy to be racing with the team in Abu Dhabi. It hasn’t been an easy last few weeks, so it will be nice to be back to in the car and work together with the Caterham F1 team members.

“I would like to thank the fans for supporting the team like they have. This team is working hard and never gives up. We deserve to be racing in Abu Dhabi and I am very glad we can race again thanks to the crowdfunding project.

“Now it is our turn to show what we can do – we will all try our best during the weekend ahead and hopefully we can end the season with a positive result for the future of this team.”

Finbarr O’Connell of Smith & Williamson, joint administrator of Caterham Sports Limited: “The team are delighted to have Kamui on board for the race weekend in Abu Dhabi. The Team commented that Kamui is a highly talented racing driver and he should be in a race car – that’s where he belongs.

“After the recent period of uncertainty for CaterhamF1, the Team are delighted, as part of its Restructuring Plan, to be able to showcase the cars again and what better way than with world renowned drivers like Kamui.”

Photo Credit: Caterham F1 Team

November 17, 2014
The Caterham F1 team will be racing in Abu Dhabi

The Caterham F1 Team has confirmed its participation in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Caterham has missed the previous two races in Austin and at Interlagos, but have confirmed that it will be making its F1 return at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Last week, the administrators of the Caterham F1 team Smith & Williamson announced the launch of a crowd funding website in a desperate bid to raise £2.35m in time to race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The team’s target has not yet been reached, Caterham does expect to hit the mark in time.

The deadline on its crowd-funding website has been extended to the end of next Sunday’s season ending race.

It is yet to be confirmed who will be driving for the team. Just yesterday Marcus Ericsson cut all ties with the Caterham F1 team, ending his contract with immediate effect.

Caterham F1 adminstrator Finbarr O’Connell said, “We set ourselves a major challenge, but it’s definitely been worth it.

“In only a week the fans have made the impossible, possible. We knew that the best way to keep this team alive and attract possible buyers was to show that it’s still a racing team and be in Abu Dhabi for the finale, and there aren’t enough words to say how grateful we are to all the fans that have made this possible.

“We now head to Abu Dhabi ready to show what a hard-working and positive group of people this is and to hopefully secure a future for the team. ”

O’Connell also says that things are looking up for the Caterham F1 team’s future in 2015 and sounds optimistic about the progress that’s been made this past week.

“During the past few days the interest of many potential buyers has increased massively and by racing in Abu Dhabi the team will be showcasing itself as a live and functioning team that deserves to continue into 2015 and beyond,” he said.

“It has hard-working people, team spirit and experience and now it only needs a secure financial future which I’m very hopeful we can achieve. Once again, I’d like to reiterate that we are racing in Abu Dhabi thanks to all the fans out there – an achievement that will go down in F1 history and one that we can all be very proud of.

“We still need to raise a bit more cash so please do keep an eye on the Crowdcube website. Let’s go racing!”

Photo Credit: Caterham F1 Team

November 14, 2014
Rosberg makes it three out of three in final Brazilian GP practice

Rosberg has sent out a very clear message about his intentions this weekend by completing a clean sweep after topping the time sheets for all three practice sessions ahead of the Brazilian GP.

Rosberg topped the session ahead of his team mate Lewis Hamilton with a lap time of 1:10.446. His time is faster any pole position time ever seen at the circuit, and only six tenths of a second off the record time, which was set a decade ago. It is very likely that we’ll see the record time beaten before the end of the Brazilian GP on the newly resurfaced Interlagos circuit.

An epic storm which hit Sao Paolo last night washed away most of the rubber that had been laid down during Friday’s Brazilian GP practice sessions so grip levels were pretty low to start off with. A good few drivers enjoyed a few minor spins and excursions off the track including Lewis Hamilton who spun into the Senna S.

The Williams duo set the early pace while teams were still running on the Prime tyres but fell behind the Mercedes drivers after the switch to options. Brazilian home favourite Felipe Massa still manage to secure the third spot with Valterri Bottas finishing fourth.

Daniel Ricciardo finished fifth for Red Bull, ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button. Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso placed themselves in seventh and eighth for Ferrari, while Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat completed the top 10.

Sebastian Vettel could manage only 11th for Red Bull, ahead of everybody’s favourite Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado.

Adrian Sutil, who has pretty much been dumped by his team Sauber team, finished 13th, ahead of the two Frenchmen Romain Grosjean and Jean-Eric Vergne.

Esteban Gutierrez, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez rounded out the 18-car field. Only 18 cars will compete in the Brazilian GP following the shutting down of the Marussia F1 team, and Caterham who are now looking for crowd funding in order to still be able to compete in Abu Dhabi.

Nico Rosberg will be looking to secure pole position this afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s Brazilian GP, and with possible rain on the way, there’s no doubt that the stage is set for a nail biting qualifying session.

Please join us on Twitter @F1_Madness for live commentary and chat during qualifying and the Brazlian GP.

Your full time sheet for the third and final Brazilian GP practice session, is below:

November 8, 2014