Crowd Sends Caterham Packing for Abu Dhabi F1 Finale

Photo Credit: Caterham F1 Team/ Charles Coates/LAT Photographic

While the likelihood of success for some of the habitually slower cars winning a grand prix race is slim, a deep Formula 1 field makes for a better spectacle. Through the recent visit to the Americas for the United States Grand Prix and Brazilian Grand Prix, there were two fewer teams part of the trek. Caterham F1 Team and Marussia F1 lost what was a struggle to keep their cars on the track for the full 19-race 2014 Formula 1 season. With the subtraction of 4 cars, events at the Circuit of the Americas and Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace consisted of  just 18 cars. Those two races had the fewest starters since the bizarre 2005 US Grand Prix at Indianapolis where only six cars started due to problems with tires supplied by Michelin. For what will be the final event of the 2014 season occurring November 21st to 23rd, one of the wayward Formula 1 teams will rejoin the grid.

The green machines fielded by Caterham F1 will be part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix thanks in large part to fan reaction to a crowdsourced financing method. Operated under the social media hashtag #RefuelCaterhamF1, Leafield stationed race team raised enough money for their symbolic single race effort by canvassing for online donations through Crowdcube. The current administrator of Caterham Sports Limited Finbarr O'Connell responded to the achievement saying, “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."

During the past week, financial contributors provided money to the team's crowdfunding campaign with an engaging twist. In exchange for the certain high-value pledges, Caterham F1 Team has provided a wide range of gifts. A rare chance to acquire race-used items and to have individuals place their names on a Formula 1 car enticed a large crowd. Race car components such as front nose sections along with brake discs were available from the start while driving suits belonging to past Caterham F1 pilots Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic were added later.

Falling short of their goal of £2,350,000 through the #RefuelCaterhamF1 crowdfunding campaign, the Caterham F1 announced their participation at the 2014 Formula 1 season finale anyways on Friday. Raising more than £1,000,000 by Monday, the Crowdcube campaign slowed during the week. Still, the #RefuelCaterhamF1 effort reached 53-percent of the financial goal by Wednesday. Since confirming they are competing at the Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates, Caterham F1 Team extended their Crowdcube campaign to the date of the 2014 Formula 1 season ending race. The opportunity still remains to contribute to the team. As of the morning of November 16th, Caterham F1 has reached 81-percent of their financial goal. Formula 1 fans continue to have the chance to acquire unique memorabilia.

Caterham Looks to Crowdfunding to Field Effort at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Caterham F1 Team/ Charles Coates/LAT Photographic

If you have noticed, the Formula 1 grid has been shallower recently. The race in the United States and this weekend's event in Brazil feature only 18 cars as two teams have recently pulled out of competition based on lack of funds. The loss of vehicles evolved from the Marussia and Caterham F1 Team struggling to sustain their off-track race operations after months of barely holding heads above financial waters. While it appears Maruassia's Formula 1 endeavour is essentially over, Caterham might race at least one more event in 2014. Currently in an ownership dispute, Caterham has been trying to remain business as usual through much of the summer into the fall. However, the trip to the Americas late in the season was unobtainable. In an effort to running at the finale event, the struggling grand prix team is hoping to earn their way to Abu Dhabi by the help of online backers.

Under the hashtag #RefuelCaterhamF1, the Formula 1 team has established a crowdfunding campaign with Crowdcube in order to finance their involvement in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in late November. On the website, Caterham F1 Team is looking to raise £2,350,000 (roughly $3,730,000 in US funds) to place themselves back in the paddock area so they can finish their 2014 Formula 1 effort on-track rather than idled in the Leafield Technical Centre in Oxfordshire.

Asking for as little as one pound, the team's crowdfunding page is offering an intriguing selection of items for contributions at certain levels. With small trinkets like branded earplugs offered at a £6 amount, larger investments into the Caterham F1 Team garners race-used items or other perks. Rear wing, nose cones, carbon fiber brake discs, wheel lug nuts and even a Formula 1 steering wheel are some of the pieces offered from the Caterham Formula 1 cars from the past three years. Driver-used equipment to be used in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix such as race gloves and boots are also part of crowdfunding effort. For £2,000, £5.000 and £10,000 amounts, companies or individuals could have their logo placed on the current CT05 Caterham-Renault race car. To simply have your name printed on the race car, there are 30 £1,000 spots available. Each of the four branding options come with a professionally taken photograph as confirmation for the contributor.

This crowdfunding campaign is offering a fairly irregular opportunity to acquire authentic Formula 1 items and it appears Caterham F1 Team has a chance of making Abu Dhabi through the funds for those pieces. With a little less than 5 days and 15 hours remaining in the Refuel Caterham F1 campaign, the effort has reached 29 percent of its funding goal. Raising £696,992 of the £2,350,500 goal from a total of 1,667 backers, some of the limited availability funding souvenirs have already been claimed. A £5,500 nose cone from a 2012 race car has already been sold out as has a rear wing from the 2013 vehicle. Of the 100 £275 carbon fiber brake discs available, 93 have been claimed by contributors on Crowdcube. What remains can still be an attractive gift for the Formula 1 fan ahead of the holiday season.

Formula 1 race team funding is becoming a troubling issue in the final stage of the 2014 season requiring some debate heading into the off-season. However, if the Caterham F1 Team reaches their funding goal by sometime this Friday, there may be two more cars on the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale.  

New Caterham F1 Team Management Sets Record Straight on Various Reports

Photo Credit: Caterham F1 Team/ Sam Bloxham/LAT Photographic

The status of the Caterham F1 Team has been a lingering source paddock talk in the recent months.

A July sale of the four-year-old Formula 1 organization by the Tony Fernandes-led ownership group to a collective of Swiss and Middle Eastern investors (1MRT) has been followed by various reports. The first story revolved around a sizable 50-person layoff occurring around time the new owners assumed command of the team. The majority of the affected staff members have filed suit against Caterham F1 Team for alleged unfair termination of employment. Earlier this month, a story circulated a bailiff moved in to seize items belonging to the Caterham F1 Team fanning rumours of a failing financial state of the Leafield, England based team. Following publication of this story, Caterham issued a statement citing the information as "uncontrolled rumours" stating the seizure related to a supplier for their company.

On the competition side of Caterham F1 Team, the two cars fielded by the group is still struggling as a Formula 1 back-marker. Having never scored a world championship point in five seasons in the sport under several personas (Lotus Racing in 2010 and Team Lotus in 2011), 2014 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Kamui Kobayashi of the Reanult-powered machines are typically spotted at the bottom of grand prix time sheets for much of the season. Recently Christijan Albers, named Team Principal in July for Caterham F1 under the new ownership group, stepped down from his role. Deputy Team Principal and General Manager Manfredi Ravetto assumed the spot.

In order to combat differing reports of the team, Ravetto answered several questions relating to the team's operations. "We are on a high and we keep fighting day after day, even if there are a few negative comments or skepticism from some people who would be happy to see us failing: we can live with this, we have no problem at all; what we do is answer with facts, starting with the technical improvement of the car and stabilizing of the team's financial side – but we just want to remind everybody that we are those brave ones who try to firefight; we are not the ones who left the team in a critical status! I can tolerate misinterpretations on everything except this. And, by the way, we historically seem to be quite successful in contradicting the rumour mill" said the Team Principal for Caterham F1. Stating the team was destined to stop racing after the British Grand Prix under its former ownership, Manfredi Ravetto proudly asserts their commitment through the remainder of the 2014 season. "Our performance is steadily improving and recent results plus our great qualifying performance in Sochi are putting us on a level the team has hardly shown previously." Ravetto responded citing Ericsson's 16th place effort in Russian Grand Prix qualifying. "Sochi was definitely the place to be: we enjoyed racing there and contributing to bring F1 to Russia; the event was fantastic, the atmosphere was breathtaking and the circuit is at the highest of standards."

Caterham F1 Team Principal Manfredi Ravetto also addressed comments made by team driver Kamui Kobayashi following his retirement from the Russian Grand Prix. While some reports had Kobayashi referring to fuel mileage issues related to the departure from the race, Ravetto recounts it as a brake problem. "Actually, I was very surprised to hear Kamui referring to some mileage-saving instruction coming from the team's management: we saw via telemetry that there was a potential issue with the brakes and we decided to avoid any risks; Kamui officially confirmed this as well and I’d like to add that he had also asked us to change the previous set before qualifying because he felt some vibration. To be clear: yes, we instructed Kamui to retire because the safety of our drivers is our first concern! Regarding Kamui's comment, all I can say – and again, I’m answering with facts – is that the team has continuously made progress since the British Grand Prix, we've managed to qualify very well in the last two races, getting very close to Q2, and in Suzuka we repaired Kamui's heavily damaged car in time for the next session without any problems, so I cannot understand his comment." In Caterham F1's release following the race, Kamui Kobayashi's quote referring to the #10 went as follows: “A disappointing Sunday. When I heard over the radio that I needed to pit I thought it was just a normal pit-stop, but then I was told that I needed to retire. It was all a bit of a surprise to me and at first I didn’t really know what the reason for having to stop was. The team has now analysed the telemetry and it was clear that my brakes were overheating too much. It’s a shame to end the weekend like this, but there’s not much more I could do today.”

In response to what the team expects for final three races and beyond, Manfredi Ravetto was candid. "We know there are still some bumpy roads ahead and we don’t expect an easy ride, but we will deal with each situation as it arrives. For avoidance of any doubt, I’d also like to add that Leafield remains the team’s base, even though it’s no secret that we are looking for a more suitable alternative. We look forward to the final three races of the season; we will keep fighting, we will keep improving and we will introduce some positive surprises: stay tuned! said the Team Principal.