Caterham F1 is working to be present in 2015

The survival of the Caterham team was clearly at stake when new investors appeared just before the British Grand Prix. This is what Manfredi Ravetto claimed during a press conference in Singapore: « In fact, I think our team was not prepared to race at Silverstone. That’s the truth. Since the arrival of the new shareholders, since the new management has been established, I think we have not only managed to race at Silverstone but also to make it to Singapore. I must say it has not been an easy task. The financial situation is not the easiest. We inherited a situation that was more than critical. I don’t know why, but maybe you should ask the previous owners. »

But while Bernie Ecclestone made a new media statement asserting that he would like to see three cars per team to compensate for the possible loss of a certain number of teams by next season, the Italian wanted to reaffirm that the goal of the new shareholders is to still be there in 2015: « All I can say is that we are quite confident on this matter. I mean, everyone knows the situation in which we found the team. We’re just trying to keep it alive and improve. Obviously, we want to be on the grid in Melbourne next year. It’s clearly our goal. »

The team finds itself in the delicate situation of having to continue working on its 2014 car to try to overtake Marussia in the constructor standings, without compromising its 2015 car. This new car is already in the wind tunnel since the Leafield team uses Toyota’s facilities in Germany. Such collaborations are not surprising, as Ferrari resorted to it when the Scuderia decided to overhaul its own wind tunnel: « Our main objective is to stabilize the company, both financially and technically. We are focused on getting the most out of the current car, but we are also working very hard on 2015. We have an excellent cooperation with Toyota and its wind tunnel in Cologne, where we are already conducting tests on next year’s car. »

On the other hand, the third team director of the year again refused to say more about the new shareholders of the team: The team is owned by a club of investors. They simply want to get the best out of their investment and they don’t need visibility or personal publicity. This is something they refuse. They are very business-oriented and focused on return on investment.

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr