Category: Caterham

The good news is Caterham has provided a great number of studio shots of their new CT03 Formula 1 car. The bad news is it still has the ugly stepped nose we saw in 2012.

What is new, though, is Caterham’s driving line up. Charles Pic was confirmed late last year, but it was only last Friday that 27-year-old Dutchman Giedo van der Garde was confirmed as Caterham’s second driver, leaving the likeable Heikki Kovalainen out in the cold.

Mark Smith, Technical Director, gives us a run down on the CT03: “We have made a number of significant changes to the car that takes it from the package that gained us 10th place in the championship in Brazil in 2012 into CT03. Among the most obvious are around the lower chassis where the sidepods have been significantly undercut to improve airflow to the rear of the car.

“The diffuser, engine cover and cooling exits have also seen major changes and there are more subtle improvements to other areas of the car, such as the sidepod turning vanes and the lower tea-tray area.

“This is the package we will take to race one in Australia and as part of the 2013 upgrade program we will then bring new front and rear wings and a new diffuser soon after the start of the season.”

More from Caterham after the break.

Charles Pic has made a small step forward in his F1 career and will move from Marussia to Caterham for the 2013 F1 season and beyond.

The 22-year-old Frenchman says Caterham’s ambitions and road car projects attracted him to the team, “It is clear that the team has great ambitions for the future: the investments already made and the decisions taken in the last few months show how committed the shareholders are to succeed and demonstrates their willingness to keep going forward.

“The prospect of the automotive industry project nurtured by Caterham Group to produce sports road cars in conjunction with Renault is another reason for my decision to join the team. I would like to thank Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun for the roles they have played in helping make this dream come true.

“I am very excited about starting my second year in F1 with a team that has so much potential. Caterham F1 Team has everything in place to help it move into a position to fight with a number of teams ahead. I know how determined the team is to keep progressing and I am looking forward to playing my part in helping them move up the grid.”

It’s not clear who will drive alongside Pic at Caterham next year with both Vitaly Petrov and Heikki Kovalainen expecting to be tapped on the shoulder.

Caterham’s full press release is available after the break.

Tony Fernandes has announced he will step down from his Team Principal role with Caterham F1 at the end of the year. It’s a planned move that will allow him more time to focus on Caterham’s road cars, which have just been given a boost with the new partnership with Renault.

Speaking to Autosport, Fernandes said: “On the racing side we have come to the conclusion that it is better if someone else takes over the team principal role to move forward. We are definitely better at business than finding tenths of seconds around a lap.

“It was right for us to lead the team initially and set a template of how it should be. That vision is now set and the team is ready to move forward to the midfield.”

Fernandes revealed his successor has been found, but wasn’t willing to give away the name just yet. “I know who it will be—and can tell you that today as I had confirmation earlier. I cannot tell you their name yet. All I can say is that they are from within F1,” he said.

[Source: Autosport | Pic: Charles Coates/LAT Photographic]