F1 Madness

Tag: caterham

  • F1 2014: Caterham to Race Abu Dhabi

    F1 2014: Caterham to Race Abu Dhabi

    The Caterham team is expected to race in the final round of the 2014 season in Abu Dhabi.

    After missing the United States grand prix and this weekend’s Brazilian grand prix there seems to be some light as the end of the tunnel for the Caterham team. The administrators have announced that they expect the team to be racing in the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi.

    “We are now extremely hopeful that we will be going to Abu Dhabi,” Finbarr O’Connell told Reuters ahead of Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the championship.

    “I think I’ve got enough confidence now to say I’d be very surprised if we were not racing in Abu Dhabi,” he added in a telephone conversation. “I’m now really hopeful for the future of the team.”

    Further, the team has been listed as an entry for the 2015 season under the name of 1Malaysian Racing Team. Similarly, Marussia,who has been facing their own financial difficulties, has been included on the entry list as Manor Grand Prix Racing.

  • Ericsson Confirmed at Sauber for 2015

    Ericsson Confirmed at Sauber for 2015

    The Sauber Formula 1 Team confirmed that young Swedish rookie, Marcus Ericsson will drive for them next season.

    The announcement was made by Sauber Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn at the Circuit of the America’s after Saturday’s qualifying session.

    “He did not have an easy rookie season this year, hoever he kept calm and improved continuously, ” said Kaltenborn.

    “We are convinced that signing Marcus can give the team a fresh impetus”

    Ericsson started in F1 with Caterham at the beginning of the 2014 season. He was left without a drive after Caterham was placed under administration.

    “Fresh from a very turbulent week, I was suddenly given my best early Christmas present ever,” said Ericsson.

    “Sauber has put its trust in me for 2015 and it makes me proud, as Sauber is known to be one of the best teams in developing young drivers.

    “It will be a great challenge. I will give my very best to develop both as a driver, and to be part o the challenge to put Sauber back closer to the front where it belongs”

    Sauber say that they will announce their second driver at a later date. Rumors, however, have been circulating that Giedo Van De Garde will get the nod for the No.2 driver spot. This will leave their current two drivers of Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez out of racing seats for 2015

  • Revised qualifying format due to Caterham and Marussia absence

    Revised qualifying format due to Caterham and Marussia absence

    Formula One will adopt a revised qualifying format for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix following the withdrawal of Caterham and Marussia from the race in Austin, with both teams suffering financial woes.

    The standard qualifying format sees the six slowest cars eliminated after Q1 and another six following after Q2. The race stewards have however decided that for this weekend’s event at the Circuit of the Americas, the four slowest qualifying cars will exit after Q1 and another four will follow after Q2.

    Sebastian Vettel will be sitting out qualifying and will start his race from the pit lane as Red Bull installs his 6th engine for the season. So, we will effectively see Vettel and the three slowest qualifying cars eliminated after Q1.

    The top 10 qualifying shootout will remain the same.

    Photo Credit: COTA

  • FIA Wants Push to Reduce Costs in F1

    FIA Wants Push to Reduce Costs in F1

    The FIA have released a statement on Thursday 30 October saying that recent events with Caterham and Marussia have justified its push tor reduce costs.

    After news that both the Caterham and Marussia F1 teams have gone into administration and with rumors that a third team may follow, the FIA have spoken out about reducing costs in the sport. In the statement, the FIA say they have expressed their views “many times” about reducing costs, but stopped short of saying that teams were not willing to reduce costs in the sport.

    “Looking beyond the end of the 2014 season, these failings once again acutely raise the question of the economic balance of the FIA Formula One Championship and justify the position, expressed many times by the FIA, in favour of any initiative that will help reduce costs in order to ensure the survival of the existing grid or attract potential new entrants.”

    The FIA have said that they are willing to work together with the teams and Formula 1 Management to find a way forward for the sport.

    “As such, the FIA, in close cooperation with FOM and the different stakeholders in F1, will continue to work towards maintaining the attraction of the championship and the equitable participation of the teams in it in the years to come.”

    In the same statement the FIA have noted that Caterham and Marussia will not take part in the next two races and technically stand to lose their places on the grid due to missing races. The stewards are aware of the financial difficulties plaguing both teams and will deal with the matter “with extreme car and due regard for the circumstances involved.”

    “It is the responsibility of the FIA Stewards to determine whether or not a team has failed to fulfil its regulatory obligation to take part in all events on the calendar and to take whatever action they deem appropriate. However, we have every confidence that the Stewards are fully aware of the financial situation of the teams concerned and these matters are always assessed with extreme care and due regard for the circumstances involved.”

  • F1 2014: US GP Preview – Formula 1 Goes Country

    F1 2014: US GP Preview – Formula 1 Goes Country

    Judging by the harmonious blend of NASCAR and beer the Americans have a pretty good idea on how to spend most of their weekends. More recently they struck on another golden combination by bringing the world’s premier racing serious to the lone star state of Texas.

    Dubbed the Circuit of the Americas, or COTA, Formula 1’s return to the US was celebrated with a rowdy return in 2012. This circuit too was designed by Herman Tilke but unlike his other occasionally tedious attempts at modern circuit design COTA has been lauded by drivers and fans. “Hand on heart, this is probably the date on the calendar I look forward to the most,” says Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. “The Circuit of The Americas, in my opinion, is the best of the new breed of circuits. The nature of the corners is interesting. It’s also a very busy track where you don’t get much respite. The first sector is very special and that first turn, blind up the big hill is like nothing else in Formula 1. It’s also a good example of the excitement a late apex can create: you can have a really good lunge there. They’ve done a very good job.”

    A storm is brewing towards the back of the Formula 1 grid as two teams in particular are having a difficult time in coping with the new turbo-charged-money-pit-era of the sport. It has led to the announcement that neither Caterham nor the Marussia team will be taking part in Texas this weekend. The great hopes once held for Caterham now lay in shards as administrators Smith and Williamson, who now own the team, set out to look for a possible buyer. Its debut in 2010 and the following season for Caterham seemed to suggest a lot of potential. They were the team most likely to be snapping at the heels of the mid-field and possibly score a point or two, such was their progression. However, in the last two seasons the team seems to have hit a brick wall and was overtaken by main rivals Marussia. Caterham’s absence, with permission from Bernie Ecclestone, will also include the team missing the Brazilian GP.  At Marussia financial woes have meant that team cannot run either.

    sebusThis should make for an interesting qualifying session. Along with the four cars already missing from the line-up Red Bull has already announced that Sebastian Vettel will not take part in the qualifying session. Vettel has chosen not partake as he will incur a ten-place grid penalty for using a sixth power unit, one more than is allotted for a season.

    Not that long ago the announcement that Formula 1 would transform to hybrid, turbo-charged cars for 2014 was met with serious speculation as to the cost involved. Several teams, some of the big-wigs too, had genuine fears about the financial implication of such an imposing transformation.   With two teams not making the trip to Texas or Brazil; a few others like Lotus and Sauber are in quite a fight to keep their head above water; and with Vettel missing in action from quali you have to wonder if those who pushed for the comprehensive rule changes are still as boisterously confident as before.

    Formula 1 is a sport of extremes and over on the other side of the grid Mercedes is making merry and raking in the prize money. The circuit in Austin, Texas isn’t as power-hungry as Russia’s Sochi track but this will do little to eat into the colossal competitive advantage that Mercedes wields.

    America – the land of opportunity so goes the famous saying. With three consecutive victories Lewis Hamilton has been making the most of hisCOTA and now sits seventeen points clear of teammate Nico Rosberg. What can Rosberg do to break the ominous momentum of his champion teammate, more importantly; does he have the mental fortitude to beat an extremely confident and ridiculously comfortable Lewis Hamilton on an equal playing-field? There isn’t a doubt that Rosberg is a quick driver with some savvy skills. As this championship draws to a climax he’ll need to call on all of it to prove that he has what it takes to be the 2014 world champion. How deep can Nico Rosberg truly dig?

  • War of Words at Caterham as Engavest Responds to Fernandes’ Allegations

    War of Words at Caterham as Engavest Responds to Fernandes’ Allegations

    The chances of the Caterham Formula One team making it to the grid for the United States Grand Prix are looking ever more slim as the crisis continues to spiral out of control.

    A legal dispute between the new team owners and Tony Fernandes has turned into a war of words, with both sides pointing fingers at each other.

    Fernandes sold the Caterham F1 team to the Engavest Consortium ahead of the 2014 British Grand Prix. Despite the sale, the team’s financial woes continued and resulted in Caterham Sports Limited (CSL) – who are responsible for making and servicing the F1 cars – going into administration.

    The administrators locked the Caterham factory doors and staff continue to be refused access to the premises until an “acceptable proposal” is put forward. Nobody seems to want to take responsibility with the team’s current owners threatening to quit F1. Both Engavest and Fernandes continue to point fingers and blame each other the crisis.

    Tony FernandesFernandes last night released a statement insisting that Engavest are to solely to blame as they have not paid their creditors. “We agreed in good faith to sell the shares to a Swiss company named ‘Engavest’ on the basis that Engavest undertook to pay all of the existing and future creditors, including the staff,” Fernandes said.

    “The continued payment of staff and creditors was so important to me that I ensured that the shares would not be transferred to the new buyers unless they complied with this condition.

    “Sadly, Engavest has failed to comply with any of the conditions in the agreement and Caterham Sports Ltd (the UK operating company of the F1 team) has had to be put into administration by the bank, with large sums owing to numerous creditors.”

    Click here to read Fernandes’ full statement.

    Engavest has issued a statement in response to Fernandes’ allegations, citing “total contempt” of Fernandes and the Caterham Group executives.

    “Engavest SA, strongly refutes the allegations of Tony Fernandes and Caterham Group CEO Graham Macdonald regarding its conduct while trying to purchase Caterham F1. Our statement of earlier today still stands,” said their statement.

    “Every single condition precedent of the Sales and Purchase Agreement for which Engavest was responsible has been met. Only the seller, which includes Mr Fernandes, failed to meet his obligations.

    “All salaries have been paid.

    “Engavest sold CSL. It did not appoint Mr Cojocar who, we believe, was a former top footballer for Steaua Bucarest during the 1980s.

    “The claims of Mr Fernandes and Mr Macdonald contradict their own press statement dated 03 October 2014:

    “”Caterham Group wishes to clarify that, following the sale of the F1 business in July, it has no affiliation with Caterham F1 Team”.

    “That one sentence alone contains two errors:

    “1, the date was June 29

    “2, having failed to transfer the shares Caterham Group and Mr Fernandes wholly owned Caterham F1 at the time of the statement, as they do today.

    “Incidents such as a Caterham Group representative forcibly breaking into a filing cabinet containing our private and confidential documents and the continued refusal to deal with the outstanding loan of Exim Bank and complete the agreement has culminated in Engavest’s total contempt of Mr Fernandes and his Group executives with whom we entered a deal in good faith.”

    Photos: Caterham F1 Team

     

  • Caterham F1 staff locked out of Leafield factory

    Caterham F1 staff locked out of Leafield factory

    Staff at the Caterham F1 team’s Leafield factory have been locked out of the building by administrators.

    Caterham’s current owners issued a statement on Wednesday evening threatening to quit the F1 team following accusations that former team owner, Tony Fernandes, has failed to transfer the shares to the new owners and therefore remains the owner of the squad.

    With the new buyers saying that Fernandes has to now sort out the situation since he is still in control, Finbarr O’Connell, joint administrator for Caterham Sports Limited – who are the suppliers to the F1 team – confirmed to Reuters that the factory has been closed and staff members are being refused access to the premises.

    “They can’t get into the factory today,” he told Reuters. “Effectively 1MRT have been in the building for last few days since I arrived. We are trying to reach an acceptable arrangement for them to be there. We had a meeting yesterday with 1MRT and lawyers and the offer they made was unacceptable. So I’ve sent them away. Hopefully they can come up with an acceptable proposal. I don’t think this is gone. It’s just a case of who has got the money to make it work.”

    There is plenty of doubt over whether Caterham will be able to compete in next weekend’s United States Grand Prix. FOM rules dictate that every team must compete in all rounds of the Formula One Championship unless they are able to prove force majeure.

    Photo: Caterham F1

     

  • Caterham Bosses Threaten to Quit F1

    Caterham Bosses Threaten to Quit F1

    The Caterham Formula 1 Teams’ current bosses have threatened to quit F1 after it emerged last night that former owner Tony Fernandez did not transfer his shares in the sale.

    News emerged on Tuesday that Caterham Sports Limited, who is a supplier to the formula 1 team, was placed under administration. The Leafield based team moved very quick to allay fears that the F1 team would be affected.

    Things took a dramatic twist on Wednesday night after the F1 team released a statement saying that the “the administrators’ appointment has had devastating effects on the F1 Team’s activities.”. It also mentioned that the press statements released by the administrators “have been severely detrimental to the management of the Caterham F1 team.”

    The full statement from the team is included below:

    “On 29 June 2014, Caterham Enterprises Ltd, Caterham (UK) Ltd and Sheikh Mohamed Nasarudin (Seller) and their shareholders Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Bin Meranun entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Engavest SA (Buyer) with regards to 1Malaysia Racing Team Sdn Bhd/Caterham F1 Team.

    Since the date of the Agreement, the Seller has refused to comply with its legal obligations to transfer their shares to the Buyer. The Buyer has been left in the invidious position of funding the team without having legal title to the team it had bought.  This is in total contradiction to the Seller’s press release of 3 October 2014 which stated that Mr Fernandes and his Caterham Group had no longer any connection with the Caterham F1 Team.

    The administrators of Caterham Sports Limited have been appointed on behalf of Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Berhad (Exim), a creditor of Mr Fernandes and the Caterham Group.

    The Buyer has no connection with Exim. Caterham Sports Ltd was a supplier company to the Caterham F1 Team.  Very regrettably, the administrators’ appointment has had devastating effects on the F1 Team’s activities.  Since their appointment, the administrators have released various press statements which have been severely detrimental to the management of the Caterham F1 team.

     After three months of operating the Caterham F1 Team in good faith, the Buyer is now forced to explore all its options including the withdrawal of its management team. Lawyers have been instructed by the Buyer to bring all necessary claims against all parties, including Mr Fernandes who, as an owner, will run the F1 operation.”

  • F1 2014: Sochi Success For Hamilton

    F1 2014: Sochi Success For Hamilton

    The most exciting thing about the first ever Russian Grand Prix was … nothing. If truth be told the only moment that induced  any sort of eyebrow-raising was a 60 meter lock-up by Nico Rosberg as he tried to steal the lead of the race from Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

    Other than Rosberg’s rather frantic attempt at getting ahead, the Sochi Autodrom turned out to be a bit of damp squib. The layout, once again designed by Hermann Tilke, provided a technical challenge to drivers when it came to stringing a perfect lap together but as far as the track surface is concerned it most definitely did not want to play ball with Formula 1. Pirelli had the difficult task of predicting what the track surface would offer up and based their decision on how other new tracks had performed. While keeping this in mind it is difficult to blame the Italian tyre manufacturer for bringing tyres to Russia which are almost literally bulletproof.

    russian-gp-start-rosbergSo indestructible were the Pirelli’s that Nico Rosberg, forced to pit on lap 1 with severely flat-spotted tyres, was able to run a 52 lap stint on one set of tyres. It wasn’t a gigantic risk nor was Rosberg, at any point, required to tip-toe around and nurse his tyres. No, he was able to push and for most of the stint set a pace comparable,  and sometimes even quicker, than the race leader.

    We commend thee Pirelli for producing the world’s first everlasting F1 tyre. But we implore you to chalk this up to a frightening one-off incident that should never again be repeated.

    Saturday’s qualifying certainly provided more entertainment as Williams’ star Finn Valtteri Bottas nearly snatched pole position from Lewis Hamilton’s grasp. It wasn’t to be for the Williams driver but he put himself in the best position possible to fight for a podium finish.

    The early part of the race and the Finn’s pace suggested that he could perhaps have a go at the leading Mercedes. But this too fizzled out towards the middle part of race as Hamilton started steadily building the gap to the Williams. Bottas eventually finished third and set the fastest lap of the race.

    Jenson Button followed through on the pace McLaren had promised in the free practice sessions with a fine fourth place finish. It was a lonely drive for the Brit who ran as high as third during the opening stint of the race. The second McLaren of Kevin Magnussen recovering from a five place grid penalty induced by a gearbox change,

    Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished an uninspired sixth and remained as coy as ever as to his future in the sport. Many have already plopped theLewis Hamilton Sochi 2014 Spaniard into a McLaren seat for 2015 but Sky’s Ted Kravitz hinted, post-race, that the double champ could be off to Lotus.

    Daniel Ricciardo did his level best to get past the Ferrari of Alonso but ultimately could do nothing about it and finished ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel in seventh.

    Kimi Raikkonen spent most of the 53 laps embroiled in scrap with the two Toro Rosso drivers but eventually got the better of them and finished a distant ninth. Sergio Perez nearly cut it too close on fuel consumption but held on to bring the Force India home in tenth.

    Felipe Massa attempted an aggressive two-stop strategy but never quite recovered from a technical issue in qualifying; the Brazilian finished eleventh.Only Caterham’s Kamui Kobayashi and Marussia’s Max Chilton failed to see the chequered flag. As a sign of respect to Jules Bianchi the Marussia team chose to run only one car this weekend.

    The Russian Grand Prix most probably didn’t even register a blip on the thrill meter. But it did give us another bit of insight into the title fight. Now that Mercedes has been crowned worthy Constructor’s champions it leaves a straight-up fight for the driver’s crown. Rosberg’s crack at snatching the lead was a tad anxious. Still the German has not beaten Hamilton on a level playing field. We’ve talked a lot about the psychological battle between these two. Is it now finally starting to tell on Nico Rosberg?

     

  • Video: Massa gatecrashes Alonso interview to find out where he’s going

    Video: Massa gatecrashes Alonso interview to find out where he’s going

    After Red Bull’s announcement that Sebastian Vettel will be leaving the team at the end of the season, and Alonso’s imminent departure from Ferrari, the rumour mills are in full swing again. And the drivers seem to love this silly season business as much as we all do. Felipe Massa had a bit of fun with Alonso during a post-qualifying interview ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Massa gatecrashed Alonso’s interview asking, “Are you going to Marussia? Huh? Huh? Caterham?”.  Alonso laughed it off but quickly responded to Massa saying, “Come to Ferrari”. Haha. It’s good to see that the drivers can still be light hearted about it all.