Caterham will debut its 2013-spec car for the first time at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix after running a basic package at the opening four races.
Team principal Cyril Abiteboul says the team are “quietly confident” they’ll become a player in the sport with their latest package after spending much of the season at the very back.
“For the first time this year, we’ve been able to show what our definitive 2013 car looks like,” said the Frenchman, as he spoke about their upgrades which were revealed in a video entitled ‘Access all Areas’.
“We started this season with a hybrid car and raced that for the first four grands prix,” he explained. “We brought some of the new package that is featured in ‘Access all Areas’ to the last race in Bahrain and that brought a small performance step, and now we can show the 2013 race car for the first time, before it races at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“We’re all quietly confident we can start playing a role in the F1 show this year, and for many seasons to come.”
The most noticeable difference is the inclusion of the vanity panel which hides the stepped nose, but Abiteboul promises the team will bring further upgrades to every race.
“In addition to the rear wing that Charles [Pic] raced in Bahrain, the most obvious visual change to the car is the addition of the vanity panel on its nose.
“We saw from the pace Charles had in qualifying and the race in Bahrain that the updates we brought to that race worked as we’d predicted, and now we have our 2013 baseline package completed we’ll aim to keep progressing from Spain and throughout the rest of the season.
“Now that our production facility is finally up and running in Leafield, we are in position to have new parts coming at every race this year, a programme we’re managing efficiently alongside the 2014 new car project.”
