Marcus Ericsson leaves Caterham F1, Alice Powell could be in line for a seat
Marcus Ericsson has officially announced that he is leaving Caterham "with immediate effect." At the same time, Alice Powell, a young British driver, could be in line for a seat with the team if they make it to Abu Dhabi.
Future Sauber driver for 2015, Marcus Ericsson was still contracted to Caterham F1. However, he decided to terminate his contract before its end.
The information comes from the official accounts of the Swede on social media. He states: « Following the recent events at Caterham Sports Limited and 1MRT, my advisor Eje Elgh [driver’s agent, ed.] and I have decided to terminate, with immediate effect, all agreements that still connected me to Caterham F1. It is a sad day because we enjoyed working together with the team despite a long and difficult season. »
I would like to thank Colin Kolles, Manfredo Ravetti, Cyril Abiteboul and all the other members of the Caterham F1 team for their trust in me and for making my first F1 season an educational and unforgettable experience. Also, I thank my good friend and teammate Kamui Kobayashi for being a reference throughout the year, and I hope to see him back on the track soon.
This announcement comes in the context of Caterham’s bankruptcy proceedings and the fundraising organized for the team to travel to Abu Dhabi. At the time of writing, the administrators have gathered the sum of 1.23 million pounds out of the required 2.35 million. The deadline is set for Friday, November 14, midnight.
At the same time, it emerged in the afternoon that Alice Powell, a 21-year-old driver and former Formula 3 driver, hoped that if Caterham was present at the Yas Marina circuit, she could participate in free practice, or even in the race. “If I run in free practice for Caterham, it would be fantastic,” she told the BBC.
The British woman’s grandfather is among a number of investors trying to gather enough money to offer her a seat. He has put in money and has managed to raise enough funds, and there are other supporters who are trying to join forces as well. I believe they kept it from me so I wouldn’t get my hopes up, but now it’s in the newspapers. I know how it is; you never know what can happen in sports.
Today in Formula Renault Asia, she indicated that she had never had the opportunity to drive an F1. The horsepower and power of an F1 are incredible. [The cars I currently drive] have a power of 200 horsepower, the F1s around 600. The difference in power would be very significant. It’s a bigger car and a bigger beast.
