Unlike Marussia, which has been totally dismembered, Caterham F1, the other F1 team that went into receivership in October, is still alive and will be allowed to run the 2014 chassis in the 2015 season.
Joint administrator for the team Finbarr O’Connell said: “That is of interest to all the parties I’m talking to. It gives them a choice, an easier start to get into Formula 1. The F1 Commission and FIA agreed if it would assist the weaker teams they can use the 2014 car next year, so giving them more time and options. It’s a very difficult purchase decision for any party because of the huge costs involved in running an F1 team”.
O’Connell told ESPNF1 that this decision relaxed the pressure of finding a buyer ASAP; he concedes that if this were to happen before Christmas it would still be ideal though “it now doesn’t have to happen by then, but the earlier the better from my point of view”.
He also revealed that he is talking to a few interested buyers: “The number of people I’m talking has increased, with two very strong candidates and a third less strong. All I can do is show what I have, show the team, the assets and the facilities. I am confident something will be done.”
Caterham missed two races after it went into receivership but still managed to compete in the last event of the season in Abu Dhabi. Its staff has been made redundant, with most of them asking for it so they could start a formal claim process or, as O’Connell said, “if someone comes along and buys the team, get paid again”.
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