zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Caterham F1 Blasts Former Owner, Former Owner Says He Was Never Paid
Caterham F1 Blasts Former Owner, Former Owner Says He Was Never Paid-August 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:49

Earlier this summer, the Caterham F1 Team was sold by reputable businessman Tony Fernandes to a group of investors. The investors are now taking issue with how the sale has gone down, as Fernandes is yet to transfer ownership. Fernandes's response? "If you buy something, you should pay for it."

The whole saga of the sale of the Caterham F1 team has seen the team devolve from a team that you were pretty sure would be on the last two rows of the grid to a team that might have cars with no engines or wheels and would claim everything is ok no matter what.

Caterham has become the Baghdad Bob of motorsports.

Just a few weeks ago, the team was raided by authorities before the Japanese Grand Prix, This time, Caterham Sports Limited, a supplier of the team, has gone into administration, and that has severely impacted Caterham. Here's :

On 29 June 2014, Caterham Enterprises Ltd, Caterham (UK) Ltd and Sheikh Mohamed Nasarudin (Seller) and their shareholders Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Bin Meranun entered into a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with Engavest SA (Buyer) with regards to 1Malaysia Racing Team Sdn Bhd/Caterham F1 Team.

Since the date of the Agreement, the Seller has refused to comply with its legal obligations to transfer their shares to the Buyer. The Buyer has been left in the invidious position of funding the team without having legal title to the team it had bought. This is in total contradiction to the Seller's press release of 3 October 2014 which stated that Mr Fernandes and his Caterham Group had no longer any connection with the Caterham F1 Team.

The administrators of Caterham Sports Limited have been appointed on behalf of Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Berhad (Exim), a creditor of Mr Fernandes and the Caterham Group. The Buyer has no connection with Exim. Caterham Sports Ltd was a supplier company to the Caterham F1 Team. Very regrettably, the administrators' appointment has had devastating effects on the F1 Team's activities. Since their appointment, the administrators have released various press statements which have been severely detrimental to the management of the Caterham F1 team.

After three months of operating the Caterham F1 Team in good faith, the Buyer is now forced to explore all its options including the withdrawal of its management team. Lawyers have been instructed by the Buyer to bring all necessary claims against all parties, including Mr Fernandes who, as an owner, will run the F1 operation.

Sounds pretty serious. But Tony Fernandes has a pretty compelling argument in his favor:

According to Tony, he is yet to be paid for the team. So why should he transfer the shares to the new owners if they haven't even paid him?

Now, it's unclear whether Caterham will make the grid for the upcoming USGP or if the team will slide off into a maze of legal battles amongst the former and current owners.

Hopefully they make it, because if they don't, Kamui Kobayashi won't get to race, and that means the world will be a worse place.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Lamborghini Goes Full Italian At Daytona, Catches On Fire
Lamborghini Goes Full Italian At Daytona, Catches On Fire
Normally, is the Italian marque most associated with random car fires, but in the first hour of the 24 Hours of Daytona it’s Lamborghini’s turn to become a car-b-que. A fuel spill in the pits lit on fire, charring the rear end of the No. 27 Dream Racing Lamborghini Huracán....
Aug 30, 2026
Take A Walk Around Mazda's Newest, Fastest Race Car At Daytona
Take A Walk Around Mazda's Newest, Fastest Race Car At Daytona
We wanted to find out more about Mazda’s brand-new RT24-P race car, so we handed a mic to Mazda North America Director of Motorsports John Doonan to explain everything that went into it. It’s a completely new car from last year’s prototype, and we got up close as the team...
Aug 30, 2026
This Isn't A Good Parking Spot
This Isn't A Good Parking Spot
The No. 24 BMW M6 GTLM got stuck in pit lane about thirty minutes in to the 24 Hours of Daytona—just not in its own pit stall. The poor M6 stopped at the entrance to pit lane, in the outer fast lane of travel. Driver John Edwards was stuck in...
Aug 30, 2026
Five-Time 24 Hours Of Daytona Winner Spins Out In Hour Two Of This Year's Race
Five-Time 24 Hours Of Daytona Winner Spins Out In Hour Two Of This Year's Race
Well, this is unexpected. The No. 14 Lexus RCF GT3 driven by none other than one of the most successful American endurance racers in history, Scott Pruett, just ate the wall. Pruett was in eighth place when he crashed the new-to-America Lexus into the wall. It doesn’t appear to have...
Aug 30, 2026
Someone Already Ate A Tire Wall Eight Minutes In To The 24 Hours Of Daytona
Someone Already Ate A Tire Wall Eight Minutes In To The 24 Hours Of Daytona
Jeroen Mul in the No. 16 Change Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 gets the honor of being the very first person to crash at the Rolex 24. Already. Eight minutes into a 24-hour race. Mul caught the right-hand curbing of the track, unsettling the car and sending it out of control...
Aug 30, 2026
The Gorgeous Technology That Makes Jeff Gordon's Ride For The Rolex 24 Work
The Gorgeous Technology That Makes Jeff Gordon's Ride For The Rolex 24 Work
NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon came out of retirement to drive this year’s Rolex 24, trading his iconic but cheerful for the sinister-looking Cadillac DPi-V.R of the Wayne Taylor Racing team. Here’s a closer look at everything that makes the new-for-2017 Cadillac work. The No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing car as...
Aug 30, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved