Kolles linked with Caterham as new owners take control
Colin Kolles is reported to be involved with Caterham’s Formula One team following a takeover by a Swiss-Arab consortium, as Tony Fernandes steps away from the operation.
Colin Kolles is set for a return to the Formula One paddock, with reports from Germany’s Bild newspaper indicating he will take a leading role at Caterham following a change in ownership. The move comes as Tony Fernandes, who founded the team in 2010, withdraws from its day-to-day operations.
Bild reports that Caterham, struggling near the back of the grid and carrying significant debt, has been acquired by a group described as a Swiss-based Arab consortium. The new owners are said to have taken on around €20 million in liabilities as part of the deal. Kolles, who has previously led both the HRT and Force India teams, is expected to act as a consultant, effectively running operations from behind the scenes.
The team’s new backers reportedly plan to remain anonymous, leaving Kolles as the public face and decision-maker. Bild claims Kolles’s immediate goal is to lift Caterham to at least tenth in the Constructors’ Championship, a position that secures a share of Formula One’s commercial revenues. The team’s financial position and on-track performance have both been under scrutiny in recent months, with speculation about its future intensifying as Fernandes’s commitment waned.
What Kolles brings to Caterham
Kolles’s reputation is built on guiding under-resourced teams through difficult periods. At HRT, he managed operations despite limited funding and technical resources, and at Force India he oversaw the team’s transition from its previous Spyker identity. His experience with cost control, sponsor negotiations and FIA relations is seen as valuable for a team in Caterham’s position.
The timing of the reported changes is notable, with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone approaching. Sources suggest the new ownership and Kolles’s role could be confirmed ahead of the race weekend. Until now, Kolles had been linked to a separate Romanian-backed entry, Forza Rossa, which was awaiting FIA approval to join the grid. The Bild report indicates his focus has shifted to Caterham instead.
Implications for the team and F1 grid
Caterham’s future had been in doubt amid persistent rumours of a sale and the team’s ongoing lack of results. The arrival of new owners and Kolles’s involvement could stabilise the operation, at least in the short term. Securing tenth in the Constructors’ standings remains a vital target, as it determines eligibility for a share of Formula One’s commercial prize fund in 2015.
The situation at Caterham highlights the financial pressures facing smaller teams in Formula One, with several outfits battling to survive under current cost structures. The backmarker’s change of control follows months of speculation about a possible sale, as previously reported inCaterham Group Reportedly Up for Sale as Fernandes Seeks Exit.
Confirmation of Kolles’s role and the identity of Caterham’s new owners is expected imminently. For now, the team’s presence at Silverstone signals a reprieve, but the challenge of climbing off the bottom of the standings remains.
