Caterham Finds Its Way into Formula 1 via Team Lotus

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The new owners find a quick and easy way to up Caterham's cred worldwide

Caterham builds some truly awesome little track cars, but let's be honest: No one considers the firm a technology leader. After all, each of its various models is just a variation on Colin Chapman's Lotus Seven, all built pretty much the same since the rights were bought from Lotus in 1973, albeit with engine and tire technology advancements.  But now having been bought by Team Lotus, and with the recent announcement of the SP/300.R—built in collaboration with Lola—it's time for an image change.

Luckily, Team Lotus has a perfect idea to boost interest in its new investment. Starting with the Silverstone Grand Prix on this coming July 9/10 race weekend, the Caterham name will adorn the flanks the Formula 1 cars of Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli, Team Lotus's two drivers.

Caterhams have long been popular in amateur racing—especially in England—but this marks a big move forward for the brand, which has never been associated with the world's premier racing series. Says Caterham Cars managing director Ansar Ali, "In terms of global visibility for the Caterham brand, you don't get much better than Formula 1. Caterham has a long and distinguished history in grassroots motorsport but this puts the firm in front of a truly global audience to sit alongside major car brands including Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes-Benz."

This is fantastic news indeed for fans of the Caterham brand. We just hope that being associated with not one but two quirky British brands (although Team Lotus and Group Lotus do operate independently) doesn't mean Trulli and Kovalainen will be plagued with mysterious electrical-system maladies.

Stuart Fowle 06 Jul, 2011

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Source: http://blog.caranddriver.com/caterham-finds-its-way-into-formula-1-via-team-lotus/
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