Caterham Group

Last updated

Caterham Cars Group Ltd.
Industry Motorsport, automobiles, composites, Technology
Founded2011
Headquarters Dartford, England, UK
OwnerVT Holdings

Caterham Group is the parent company for a range of automotive and motor racing businesses.

Contents

Management team

PositionName
Group CEO/CEO Of Caterham CarsGraham Macdonald
Caterham Bikes CEOIshsal Ishak

Businesses

Vehicles

Former

Caterham Racing was Caterham F1's feeder team, and competes in the GP2 Series since 2011. The team was sold in October 2014 to Status Grand Prix. [3]

Caterham Moto Racing Team

Kamarudin Bin Meranun, Co-Chairman of Caterham Group, confirmed on 13 October 2013 that the newly formed Caterham Moto Racing Team will contest the Moto2™ World Championship from the start of the 2014 season. Dato' Kamarudin also confirmed that American rider Josh Herrin will be one of the team's two riders in 2014, and that a technical partnership has been signed with Suter Racing Technology to jointly develop a Caterham-Suter chassis over the next two years.

Caterham Technology

Created in 2011, Caterham Technology and Innovation (CTI) is part of the Caterham Group of companies and based at the Caterham Technology Centre in Hingham, Norfolk. The company is leading the development of a new range of vehicles [4] and products for the Caterham brand as well as providing engineering services to customers across the automotive, [5] [6] motorsport, aerospace and marine industries.

Housing the companies new design office and workshops, the Hingham facility also continues to be a centre of excellence for composite component production and inspection - for both internal and external projects. As part of the group Caterham technology is working with the Caterham F1 Team (Leafield, UK) and Caterham Composites (Hürth, Germany) offering a broad range of simulation, analysis and specialist test facilities to support specific project requirements.

Mike Gascoyne formerly involved in setting up the F1 Team became CEO of Caterham Technology in early 2012 as well as his role as CEO of Caterham Composites.

On 5 November 2012, Renault announced a 50:50 joint venture with Caterham Technology aimed at bringing back alife the Alpine brand in the form of the Alpine-Caterham sports car [7] [8] [9]

On 27 November 2014, CTI announced that it would close its business in Hingham with 68 job losses. The company’s chief executive Graham MacDonald is said to have taken the decision to shut down its engineering and technology arm near Wymondham because it was no longer financially viable. [10]

Caterham Composites

In 2007, the Managing Directors Phil Hall and Duncan Bell founded the Hall & Bell GbR in Cologne after leaving Toyota Motorsport GmbH. Having worked with Mike Gascoyne in the past, the company worked on the Lotus Racing T127 beginning in 2009 resulting in the acceptance of Lotus Racing F1 into FIA F1 Championship 2010. The following year the company became a legal entity as Composite Designs EU GmbH. In November 2011 Caterham Group purchased the company and since then Composite Designs EU GmbH trades as Caterham Composites. From the central-European base in Cologne, Caterham Composites have put together a team with a cross-section of nationalities, experiences and interests. Projects so far have included the development and production of the T127 and the interior design of the Bombardier Global Express XRS as well as a number of automotive consultancy projects. [11] Caterham Composites now describes itself as a composites consultancy company offering services from structural lightweight design using the latest CAD packages, [12] through to entire turnkey projects from conception to delivery. The company offers consultancy, part-projects, full projects, across all sectors and industries. Composite Designs EU GmbH was dissolved in 2015 followed by Caterham Composites Ltd in the UK in 2016.

Caterham Cars

Caterham Cars is part of the Caterham Group and a manufacturer of specialist lightweight Sports Cars currently based in Crawley, Sussex, UK. Their best known model, the Caterham 7 (or Seven), is a direct evolution of the Series 3 Lotus Seven designed by Colin Chapman and originally launched in 1973. In 1994 the Caterham 21 was launched to celebrate 21 years of Caterham. The most recent model is the SP/300.R produced in conjunction with Lola Cars and launched in 2011.

In June 2012, Ansar Ali announced he was to leave Caterham Cars and Graham Mcdonald (the company's former CFO) became the new CEO.

In January 2013, Caterham Cars announced the launch of a one-make kart series for 2014 through its motorsport division. [13]

Former

Caterham F1 Team: 2012–2014

The Caterham F1 Team was the group's Formula One, based at Leafield, UK. The team competed as Caterham for the first time in the 2012 Formula One season, following the renaming of the outfit that raced as Team Lotus in 2011. This followed the acquisition of British sportscar manufacturer Caterham Cars by team principal Fernandes, forming the Caterham Group. Cyril Abiteboul joined as new CEO from Renault Sport F1, later extending his role to team principal.

In July 2014, Fernandes sold the outfit to a group of Swiss and Dubai-based investors. Advised by Colin Kolles, under the terms of the sale the team continued to race as Caterham F1 and remained based at Leafield. Team principal Abiteboul returned to Renault, replaced by former Dutch F1 driver Christijan Albers. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automobiles Alpine</span> Racing car manufacturer

The Société des Automobiles Alpine SAS, commonly known as Alpine, is a French manufacturer of sports cars and racing cars established in 1955. The Alpine car marque was created in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Cars</span> British multinational manufacturer of sports cars and electric lifestyle vehicles.

Lotus Group is a British multinational automotive manufacturer of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault in Formula One</span> Formula One activities of Renault

Renault, a French automobile manufacturer, has been associated with Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer for various periods since 1977. In 1977, the company entered Formula One as a constructor, introducing the turbo engine to Formula One with its EF1 engine. In 1983, Renault began supplying engines to other teams. Although the Renault team had won races, it withdrew at the end of 1985. Renault engines continued to be raced until 1986.

Caterham Cars Ltd. is a British manufacturer of specialist lightweight sports cars established in Caterham, England, with their headquarters in Dartford, England. Their current model, the Caterham 7, originally launched in 1973, is a direct evolution of the Series 3 Lotus Seven designed by Colin Chapman. In the 1990s the company made the Caterham 21, a two-seater soft top alternative to the MG F and Lotus Elise,. A track-only car, the SP/300.R, a joint project with Lola was released for customer testing in 2010 and was scheduled for release in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Gascoyne</span> British engineer and car designer (born 1963)

Michael Robert Gascoyne is a British Formula One designer and engineer.

Renault Sport or Renaultsport, was a motorsport, performance and special vehicles division for Renault-badged cars and later a sub-badge of Renault cars managed by Alpine. The first Renault Sport was officially established as a company in 1976 as a merger between the Alpine and Gordini competition departments. It was made a division and reorganised in 2002 and 2016. In December 2021, all Renault Sport operations were merged into an Alpine-led business unit. The Renault Sport car range under Alpine was completely phased out by the end of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodolfo González (racing driver)</span> Venezuelan racing driver

Rodolfo González is a Venezuelan racing driver.

The World Series Formula V8 3.5, formerly the World Series by Nissan from 1998 to 2004, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series from 2005 to 2015 and the Formula V8 3.5 in 2016 and 2017, was a motor racing series promoted by RPM Racing (1998–2004) and Renault Sport (2005–2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus F1</span> Former Formula 1 team

Lotus F1 Team was a British Formula One racing team. The team competed under the Lotus name from 2012 until 2015, following the renaming of the former Renault team based at Enstone in Oxfordshire. The Lotus F1 Team was majority owned by Genii Capital. Lotus F1 was named after its branding partner Group Lotus. The team achieved a race victory and fourth position in the Formula One Constructors' World Championship in their first season under the Lotus title. Lotus F1 achieved 2 race victories in their time on the grid, both courtesy of Kimi Räikkönen. The team was sold back to Renault on 18 December 2015. The Lotus F1 Team name was officially dropped on 3 February 2016, as Renault announced that the team would compete as Renault Sport Formula One Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine Academy</span> Program to support young racing drivers through their careers

The Alpine Academy – formerly known as the RF1 Driver Programme, Renault Driver Development and Renault Sport Academy – is a driver development programme to support young racing drivers through their careers. The programme was created by Renault F1 in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Pic</span> French racing driver (born 1990)

Charles Pic is a French retired professional racing driver who drove in Formula One for two full seasons in 2012 and 2013, racing for Marussia F1 Team in the first season and then for Caterham in the second season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Lotus (2010–2011)</span> Former Anglo-Malaysian Formula One constructor

Team Lotus, originally Lotus Racing, was a Malaysian-licensed Formula One racing team and constructor, based in Hingham, Norfolk, UK, which competed during the 2010 and 2011 Formula One seasons. The team scored no championship points in the two years it competed.

Caterham Racing, formerly EQ8 Caterham Racing and Caterham Team AirAsia was a motor racing team competing in the GP2 Series and GP2 Asia Series. It was created by Tony Fernandes, who was also responsible for the revival of the Lotus name in Formula 1 in 2010 with the creation of the Lotus Racing team. Team AirAsia was officially accepted to the GP2 Series grid on 21 September 2010, along with fellow debutants Carlin Motorsport, filling the gap left by the departures of Durango and DPR. The team made their debut at the first round of the 2010–11 GP2 Asia Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Powell</span> British racing driver

Alice Elizabeth Fraser Powell is a British racing driver. In 2010, she became the first woman to win a Formula Renault championship and in 2012 became the first woman to score points in the GP3 Series. In 2014, she returned to racing in Formula Renault and added to her championship victories by taking first place in the International Class of the 2014 Asian Formula Renault Series. In 2019, Powell was one of the 18 women selected to compete in the inaugural W Series championship. During the course of the season's six races, Powell took four podium finishes, including a win at the series finale race at Brands Hatch, and finished third in the championship standings. Following an enforced hiatus caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, Powell returned to the W Series for the 2021 championship and won the opening race of the year, at the Red Bull Ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leafield Technical Centre</span> Motorsport facility in Oxfordshire, England

Leafield Technical Centre is a former radio communications station, now a motorsports centre of excellence, in the hamlet of Langley, in the western part of the village of Leafield in Oxfordshire, England.

The Caterham F1 Team was a Malaysian, later British owned Formula One team based in the United Kingdom which raced under a Malaysian licence. The Caterham brand competed in the Formula One World Championship from 2012 to 2014, following the acquisition of British sportscar manufacturer Caterham Cars by former owner and team principal Tony Fernandes, forming the Caterham Group.

Mark Smith is a British former technical director of the Sauber Formula One team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyril Abiteboul</span> French motor racing engineer and manager

Cyril François Roger Abiteboul is a French motor racing engineer and manager. He has served as the team principal of Hyundai Motorsport since 2023. From 2013 to 2014 he was the team principal of Caterham Formula One team, and was the managing director of the Renault F1 Team from 2014 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caterham CT05</span> Formula One racing car

The Caterham CT05 is a Formula One racing car that competed in the 2014 Formula One Season. It was the last Caterham F1 car before the team folded prior to the start of the 2015 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine F1 Team</span> French-owned Formula One racing team

Alpine F1 Team, currently racing as BWT Alpine F1 Team for sponsorship reasons, is the name under which the Enstone-based Formula One team has been competing since the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 Team and owned by the French automotive company Groupe Renault as well as Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, the team was rebranded for 2021 to promote Renault's sports car brand, Alpine, and continues to serve as Renault's works team. The chassis and managerial side of the team is based in Enstone, Oxfordshire, England, and the Renault-branded engine side of the team is based in Viry-Châtillon, a suburb of Paris, France. The team competes with a French licence.

References

  1. "Caterham's new era begins and ends with the CT03 [w/videos]". Autoblog.
  2. "Caterham CT03 F1 car for 2013 exhibited at Jerez". Archived from the original on 6 June 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  3. "Leading GP3 team Status to run Caterham GP2 squad". AUTOSPORT.com. 17 October 2014.
  4. "Caterham to launch new range-topping EUV-compliant Seven - SkiddMark". SkiddMark. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  5. von Markus Lttgens (5 February 2013). "Caterham: Wachstum durch Kooperation mit Renault". Motorsport-Total.com.
  6. "Renault interview: Carlos Tavares". Arabian Business.
  7. The Daily Telegraph
  8. "Inside story: the Alpine-Caterham".
  9. "The Caterham-Alpine tie-up (2016): who benefits most?". CAR Magazine site.
  10. "68 jobs lost as Caterham closes business in Norfolk". edp 24. 27 November 2014.
  11. "Caterham develops automotive safety concept". www.compositesworld.com. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  12. "Strukturoptimierung in drei Schritten". 25 January 2013.
  13. "Caterham to launch new entry-level karting series for young drivers". CarAdvice.com.au.
  14. "Caterham F1 Team Announcement". Caterham Group. 2 July 2014. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2014.