CT03, Caterham F1 Team's 2013 race car, was unveiled in the
pitlane of the Circuito de Jerez, Spain, on day one of the first
official pre-season test. The car was revealed by the team's race
drivers Charles Pic, who will race in car #20, and Giedo van der
Garde who will be in car #21 for the forthcoming season.
The 2013 car has technical features that distinguish it from its
predecessor, CT01, and it will race in an updated livery which sees
the team's green and yellow paint-scheme refreshed and lightened
for the season ahead.
Mark Smith, Technical Director, Caterham F1
Team: "CT03 is the first car we have produced in the
Leafield Technical Centre so it marks an important milestone in the
development of our team. The season ahead presented us with an
interesting challenge early in the design process as it is the last
year of the current regulations before the introduction of the new
engine rules in 2014. With that in mind, we decided that CT03 would
be an evolution of CT01 rather than a complete re-design, allowing
us to focus our resources on developing areas of last year's
package where opportunities would give us the greatest return,
while also beginning work on the 2014 package.
"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.
"However, the CT03 car that starts testing in Spain on day one
in Jerez is not the only visible change amongst a number of other
important developments at Caterham this winter. Back in Leafield,
we are fast completing our own 'driver in the loop' simulator,
created with the support of Dell and powered by Alienware. This is
a major asset for our team that puts us on a par with any of our
competitors and constitutes another example of the long-term plans
we are activating that will help us continue to grow and develop
into the team we know we can become.
"Personally I am excited about the season ahead, and the
challenges that face us. Regardless of the resources and budget
available, all the teams will be racing in 2013 with one eye on
next year when the new rules may present opportunities to make
significant gains, much greater than those available under static
rules. Our whole team is ready for its fourth season in F1 and I am
sure it is going to be another thrilling championship."
Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal, Caterham F1
Team: "This is the first car we have produced since I
joined the team so this is a proud day for me. I am very pleased
that we have been able to allocate our resources and budgets as
efficiently as possible to produce a car that will allow us to
consolidate our position in Formula One whilst also starting work
on the 2014 car as early as possible.
"From the outside, the most obvious change to CT03 car is the
livery. While retaining the green and yellow paint scheme that has
become synonymous with our team since 2010, we have refreshed both
colours to enhance their visibility on track and give them what
will be, we believe, one of the best looking liveries in the
pitlane.
"Driving the cars this year are Charles Pic and Giedo van der
Garde, two drivers who give us a good mix of youth and experience
inside and outside Formula One. Charles and Giedo are both young
and dynamic and we expect that their enthusiasm for the sport and
the team will be fuelling our growth. Additionally, they provide
clear proof of our dedication to developing young driver talent and
now, any aspiring driver who dreams of F1 can see that there is a
clear route to the F1 grid under the guidance of the Caterham
Driver Development Program, the 2013 format of which will soon be
presented."
"Off track our team is in a healthy position. We are still a
small team but our stated objective is to be the most efficient of
all F1 Teams, and thanks to our determination, our scalability and
our processes, there is no reason we cannot achieve this in
recognition of the ongoing investments our shareholders and team
partners make in us.
"We have partners in GE/Safran, EADS/Airbus, Dell/Intel,
McGregor and Renault who are the envy of the pitlane. Our
relationships with each of those businesses continue to develop and
we are delighted that such blue-chip brands share our vision and
are an integral part of our team.
"As part of Caterham Group we are also involved in the
Renault/Caterham Cars partnership, one of the most exciting
projects in the global motoring industry and one that means we
start the 2013 season as one of the five car-makers on the F1
grid.
"The move to Leafield was the last big piece of the jigsaw, and
now we are settled in our new, permanent home, we are in the
process of increasing our integration level to better control the
quality, cost, and lead time of our supply chain. I am confident
that this will ultimately translate into faster laptimes to reduce
the gap with the midfield cars. CT03 is the first car to be built
in Leafield and while we are realistic enough to know that we are
not going to be the fastest car on the grid, we do think we will
have one of the best looking cars in 2013. I will be working so
that one day we have both!"
Tony Fernandes, Co-Chairman, Caterham Group:
"This is the first car we have produced from our factory in
Leafield and the last we will build under the current regulations.
The team has produced a car that is an evolution of the 2012 car,
building on that platform to give us a chance of continuing to make
progress towards the teams ahead, while also dedicating enough
resource to start work as early as possible on the 2014 car.
"For me this is going to be the story of the 2013 season - every
team wants to be as competitive as possible this year, but with
such fundamental rule changes next year resources and budgets
dictate that there will have to be a cut-off point in the
development of the current season cars so focus can be switched to
2014. We will bring updates to the car after several races and I am
happy that the plan we have for 2013 will give us the chance to
fight this year, but, importantly, will allow us to take full
advantage of the new rules in 2014.
"Having stepped up to the role of Co-Chairman of Caterham Group
I will be playing less of a day-to-day role with the team but I am
delighted that we go into our fourth season in such a strong
position. Caterham Group continues to grow and since launching
our partnership with Renault in November we have started work on
the new Alpine and Caterham Cars products which is obviously very
exciting. Caterham Composites and Caterham Technology &
Innovation are also forging ahead with a number of very interesting
projects, some of which will be unveiled throughout 2013.
"I am realistic enough to know that we still have a long journey
ahead of us, but the dream is steadily coming true. We have
invested in the long-term, not taken any short-cuts and we have
everything in place to keep moving forwards."