Caterham F1 Boss Insists Midfield Ambitions Remain Alive
Tony Fernandes says Caterham's improved 2012 pace keeps hopes of joining Formula One's midfield alive, despite a tough start in Australia and Malaysia.
Caterham's Formula One team principal Tony Fernandes remains adamant that the team’s aim to break into the midfield is still on track, despite qualifying 19th and 20th for the Malaysian Grand Prix on 24 March 2012. The results mirrored their opening round in Australia, where Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov also failed to progress beyond Q1.
Fernandes told InAutoNews that Caterham had definitely improved its pace compared to 2011, but conceded that the teams ahead had also made progress. He said the team was now closer to the midfield in qualifying, but still needed to work hard to close the remaining gap. The goal, Fernandes insisted, was to start racing teams beyond HRT and Marussia, rather than just fighting at the back.
Mixed views on Caterham's progress
While Fernandes pointed to Melbourne as evidence that Caterham’s race pace was edging closer to rivals, not everyone in the paddock agreed. Former F1 driver and Finnish TV commentator Mika Salo was blunt, saying the Caterham could not be called fast or stable. Salo’s view reflected the general scepticism about whether Caterham’s technical package could genuinely threaten the established midfield teams.
Renault Sport F1’s lead engineer Thierry Salvi offered a more optimistic assessment of the car’s performance, at least from a powertrain perspective. Salvi said the engine behaved well during practice sessions, and highlighted improvements to the cooling system and steering. According to Salvi, these changes would play an important role in the race itself.
