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25 Sep 2012, 13:53 (Ref:3141430) | #1 | |
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Where to for Caterham?
So I love Caterham road cars, I like how Tony Fernandes has gone about setting up the structure of the team. I like how they have put Heikki , Trulli and now Petrov in the car. They have paid the extra coin for Renault engines...BUT they are still struggling to beat Marussia.
Their progress seems to have stalled and really have been gutted about their 2012 performance. There is a small possibility they will lose Heikki who has been solid...and better in my eyes than the likes of Glock. Mark Smith has been around the traps...but I would have thought they had enough finding and engineering smarts to give STR a scare this year. |
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25 Sep 2012, 14:02 (Ref:3141439) | #2 | |
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Would help if TF concentrated on F1 rather than silly soccer clubs then he might have a bit more focus on making it work...
Mind you he said to James Allen the other day that he made a mistake basing the team in Norfolk - most people with F1 knowledge would have chosen the so-called 'carbon fibre belt' as a location for a team in the UK. The Malaysian base idea seems to have gone quiet too - perhaps the Leafield move will do more of the trick? Shame that the car operation moves from Dartford though. Well, Slade Green really. |
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25 Sep 2012, 15:27 (Ref:3141500) | #3 | |
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it's really difficult to expand a company that quickly and from nothing, particularly one you have to keep a "team" atmosphere in. once you've expanded, you then have to go back and implement procedures, organisational stuff like a proper chain of command, and so on. i think bearing that in mind they and the other 2 "new" teams are going to struggle until they've recruited the right people in the right numbers and they've stabilised the company.
the frontrunning teams have just been refining things for years, decades even. they've got to come in and create a whole new mentality, system of working and momentum from scratch. it's a big ask, particularly since it's very obvious when a company isn't working its best in f1 and motorsport. there's not many industries where the end product competes directly against that of another company quite so literally. tl;dr: patience is a virtue. |
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25 Sep 2012, 15:34 (Ref:3141508) | #4 | |
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Caterham have recently moved to Leafield (Previously Arrows, Super Aguri HQ). It's a much better site than the one in Norfolk. It has enabled them to install a simulator, etc. Things should hopefully progress much more quickly from now on.
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/0...ks-and-mortar/ |
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25 Sep 2012, 15:36 (Ref:3141509) | #5 | ||
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They may be without Petrov's money for next year.
And with probably not getting 10th in WCC that'll leave a big financial hole. http://www.crash.net/f1/news/184395/...f1_future.html Last edited by Hawkwood; 25 Sep 2012 at 15:36. Reason: bad spelling |
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25 Sep 2012, 15:45 (Ref:3141515) | #6 | |
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frostie had an interesting chat with Mark Smith. Post 124
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...=134913&page=9 |
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26 Sep 2012, 08:58 (Ref:3141873) | #7 | |||
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Charles Pic is lined up to take his place, he not only has bags of cash he has talent and youth a great combination ......Renault buy in ???? |
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26 Sep 2012, 13:20 (Ref:3141985) | #8 | |
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Caterham and, to a lesser degree, Marussia have been a bitter disappointment this year.
Absolute non-entities. |
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26 Sep 2012, 23:34 (Ref:3142269) | #9 | |
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Re Pic he has done great job. Caterham could do worse. I don't think Heikki is going anywhere. He has had his time at Renault, McLaren. I don't think he is going to get a 3rd chance
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28 Sep 2012, 10:42 (Ref:3143017) | #10 | |||
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... and still they can't achieve it. The likes of GE/Dell/Airbus & friends may not be pleased on that kind of performance, although I bet they sold Mr Fernandez a few planes from the involvement... Not sure a paydriver will fix the big issues here. There are a couple of interviews with Mike Smith, Technical Director floating around suggesting the '13 car will be based on the '12 unit... so look forward to more slowness |
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7 Oct 2012, 11:43 (Ref:3147543) | #11 | ||
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I thought Kovalainen was going to get something out of this race today...............but
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7 Oct 2012, 11:56 (Ref:3147546) | #12 | ||
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Van der Garde getting Friday run in Korea:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103203 I know it's horrible to wish ill for people, but I hope Caterham don't stoop to hiring him for next year, he hasn't impressed in GP2. He's been surpassed constantly by newer drivers. Anyway, I've banged that drum before, don't want to start sounding like a broken record too much Who is Caterham's chief designer of next year's car? Gascoyne got fired upstairs didn't he? Does their 'new' guy have a nice track record? |
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8 Oct 2012, 11:46 (Ref:3148159) | #13 | |
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Upwards and outwards, aye - Gascoyne is now Group CTO with Mark Smith as Tech Director for F1. Smith has a decent history - Jordan, Renault, Red Bull, Force India, Reynard (in no specific order). He seems to specialise in going into teams that have just changed hands!
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9 Oct 2012, 11:18 (Ref:3148767) | #14 | |||
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Same old story could have, would have, but didn't. What a disaster this season is turning into ....again. I wonder how long Fernandes & his backers will keep his interest in this team. At least he has his football team to fall back on.... |
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9 Oct 2012, 12:29 (Ref:3148797) | #15 | |
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9 Oct 2012, 12:55 (Ref:3148808) | #16 | ||
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I think he was probably traumatised by the whole Lotus wrangle that his interest has dwindled. With his Renault engines the guy should be making more headway. Caterham should be for Renault what Force India is to Mercedes.
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9 Oct 2012, 13:19 (Ref:3148819) | #17 | ||
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Now they lost the 10th position, and the money that goes with it will they have to have a couple of pay drivers in for next season, Kovalainan earns a colossal amount for a back marker team that's never scored a point. I cant see them regaining 10th spot unless half the grid retires ..
At the moment they are struggling with two good drivers. If they bring in Van der Garde for his money and another like him what for the future. I think Kovalainans new management team have been throwing a lot of balls in the air to see who catches them. Now no one seems to want him Fernandes will be in a good position to lower his salary to that of any other capable driver out there. Tricky times ahead for Caterham |
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9 Oct 2012, 17:15 (Ref:3148931) | #18 | ||
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Yeah, tricky times for Caterham although I still believe they're the best of the three bottom teams.
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9 Oct 2012, 20:32 (Ref:3149036) | #19 | ||
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10 Oct 2012, 09:27 (Ref:3149272) | #20 | |||
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I think 'best of the new teams' best of the bottom three' is wearing a bit thin now all 12 teams are in F1 the top level of motor sport if they cant cut it they shouldn't be there, makes me wonder where Dave Richards team would be in the championship had he got in.......with points I'm sure |
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10 Oct 2012, 20:18 (Ref:3149604) | #21 | ||
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they're possibly best of the 'scholarship class' but after three full seasons all three of these so-called "new teams" have been bordering on worthless.
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10 Oct 2012, 20:32 (Ref:3149609) | #22 | ||
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The three bottom teams are worthy of their own since they're giving racing seats to drivers, at least to the honor to be in F1. Withouth them F1 would lack seats, 18 cars in the grid will be lacklustre.
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10 Oct 2012, 21:37 (Ref:3149635) | #23 | ||
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agreed.
i'm the first to admit that i didnt think 1 of these teams would survive this long let alone all three of them. that is by no means a small accomplishment so i think that maybe the FIA got it right in their selection process as evidence by these teams still existing. not convinced Richards would have done any better especially since the rules he was planning on never came to pass. and a couple of weeks ago Glock put in a drive that has potentially secured his team many many millions of dollars....how much more exciting does it need to get? |
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10 Oct 2012, 21:47 (Ref:3149643) | #24 | |||
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I think it's easy to underestimate exactly how hard it is to develop a car capable of running even in the midfield under the current regs. Especially with a small budget, the need to recruit staff, fit out premises. It's an achievement for them to be in the game at all imho. |
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10 Oct 2012, 22:24 (Ref:3149653) | #25 | ||
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Given that the current laws are pretty well designed to protest the interests of the established larger teams, the new entries have done an amazing job just to survive. |
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