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| Caterham unveiled its new Renault powered CT03 at the Jerez circuit on February, 2013 with a new driver line up consisting of Charles Pic and newcomer Giedo van der Garde |
Former Marussia racer Charles Pic and newly recruited Dutch racer Giedo van der Garde
unveiled the CT03 at the Jerez Circuit pit lane a few hours before the start of the first
pre-season test on February 5.
The 27 year old, Dutchman, Giedo van der Garde has had a long association with Caterham
since his GP2 days, where he has also raced with Pic as his team mate. van der Garde
played the role of the Reserve driver for the team throughout the 2012 Formula One season
and had played an integral part in the development of the CT02.
“Driving the cars this year are Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde, two drivers
who give us a good mix of youth and experience inside and outside Formula One. Charles and
Giedo are both young and dynamic and we expect that their enthusiasm for the sport and the
team will be fuelling our growth” said Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul.
The CT03 features a revised livery, revised sidepods, and changes to the diffusers and
cooling system. Caterham has also joined club of teams like Red Bull and Lotus who have
retained the stepped nose.
Technical Director Mark Smith explained, “Among the most obvious are around the
lower chassis where the sidepods have been significantly undercut to improve airflow to
the rear of the car. The diffuser, engine cover and cooling exits have also seen major
changes and there are more subtle improvements to other areas of the car, such as the
sidepod turning vanes and the lower tea-tray area. This is the package we will take to
race one in Australia and as part of the 2013 upgrade program we will then bring new front
and rear wings and a new diffuser soon after the start of the season.”
The CT03 is the first car to be produced out of their new factory base at Leafield in
UK. Caterham finished 10th last year in the constructors’ championships ahead of
Marussia and HRT, which means a lot in terms of finances for a small team like
Caterham.
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