Caterham F1 Team has signed American Alexander Rossi to be its 2012 test driver. In his F1 role, he will be taking part in FP1 sessions in 2012, helping him to gain further experience and cementing his relationship with the team.
Rossi will also be competing for a second year in the Renault World Series, racing for the newly-formed Arden Caterham team.
“As our Official F1 Test Driver, Alexander is a key figure in our long-term plans and the investment we are making in him now will help him make the most of the natural talent he has at his disposal,” said Tony Fernandes. “We see 2012 as an important year for Alexander as he will be combining a full calendar in World Series by Renault, a championship he has a very good chance of winning, with his Test Driver role and giving him the chance to take part in FP1 gives him the platform from which he can grow into an even bigger F1 role.”
Rossi is delighted.
“I have not been in a car since the F1 rookie test in Abu Dhabi last November, but have been on the simulator,” he says. “I am very eager for World Series by Renault testing to begin next week and to get down to work, where I’ll be running with Arden Caterham in the classic green and yellow colors. The 2011 season was good, but now I have that experience under my belt and I’m determined to fight for the championship throughout the 2012 season.”
Is it uncouth to start chanting USA here?
I hope he continues to improve and someday gains a seat in F1. It would be nice for us Americans to have an American to cheer for.
I agree with you…
I’m chanting (U-S-A, U-S-A!!). We need a talent investment in Formula 1 and Rossi is the perfect fit. His open wheel career has been developing at a good, consistent rate that will, hopefully, make him a legitimate contender in F1.
“Is it uncouth to start chanting USA here?”
Yes.
Here here Jonathan, second that comment. Based on his Friday times and experience gained between now and November it would be even MORE momentous if they could find a way to give Rossi the Austin race, even if only as a one off.
Publicize the hell out of it the month before the race and it would do wonders to raise F1 awareness in the States. Fernandes is a clever guy with a long range plan and vision, wouldn’t surprise me if events turned out as described.
In the back of my mind I was thinking, “what if he drove in the Austin race.” I didn’t want to get my hopes up though.
It always is.
I’m no too worried about cheering for an American, but I hope this means Fernandes is looking at setting up an easier way you get Caterhams in North America. I’m not sure how hard it is here in the US, but the Canadian distributor is asking insane amount for the base models, let alone something like the R500 Superlight.
So let’s recap: that’s the rising star with the single biggest commercial upside, driving in FR3.5 for a team with Tony Fernandes on one side and Christian Horner on the other (and Messrs Mateschitz and Marko nowhere in sight).
If I were Ron Dennis I’d be keeping a very close eye on all this…
The last guy from the US was Scott Speed, and he was not very impressive. I don’t think Alexander Rossi is the answer. F1 should go after Danica Patrick instead.
The only thing that Danica would bring would be public interest, which isn’t a bad thing, but she has never really shined at road tracks (her two best road finishes being 2nd at Detroit in 2007 and a 4th at Long Beach in 2009).
Danica Patrick? Really?
Danica’s said repeatedly she has no interest – she prefers the american scene.
prefers???? does she really have a choice…
Maybe not now, but a couple of years back, when she made those comments, she surely would have…
if she’d wanted, she’d have had no problem getting herself a seat, with the sort of sponsorship she’d bring – she’s definitely a relatively average driver, but she’s better than a few of the spanners who’ve been in F1s midfield teams over the past few years…
Not too sure Danica would bring enough to the table in terms of raw talent to be worth the effort.
Raw talent isn’t the only qualification for F1, she would bring a huge amount of money.
Because Scott Speed was no good? I don’t follow your logic
What I meant is that trying to put a guy into F1 just because F1 needs an american racer is not something that has being paid off since Michael Andretti’s days at Mclaren. On that case, Danica Patrick is more commercialy appealing, being a woman and all, and also being a celebrity of some sort already – plus, the girl might not be the next Schumacher but she sure can drive better than some of the F1 guys battling in the mid grid.
I know Danica’s momentum in F1 might be gone by now, but still… I wouldn’t hurt to let her do some friday testing instead of Alexander Rossi.
Really, Victor? Really?
Seriously? You’ve bought into that Danica hype? Her talents for road racing have slipped a ways since she was in Europe. In fact, one of the reasons she switched to NASCAR (other that a threefold raise in her salary) is that it is a predominately oval series (just two road races out of 36) For those, they can hire a ringer to drive the car.
Whither Giedo van der Garde?
Doing GP2 for Caterham as well, so that clashes at some races. Apparently. I would say these cars are not on track at the same time, so…
Seriously, I think Giedo and his management got ‘gepiepeld’
Well Van Der Garde is the reserve driver, but if they need a driver and he isn’t able to do it due to a GP2 race its likely that they would use there test driver instead Alexander Rossi.
They should both be getting a few Practise 1 sessions this season. I wonder though if Caterham’s other GP2 driver will do any practise sessions?
As previously noted, Caterham said van der Garde would be involved in a number of Friday morning sessions as their reserve driver.
Zero is also a number.
Fernandes is smart. Two drivers, one paying and one development in big market = great idea.
One is in FR3.5 which clashes some weekends while the other is in GP2 which runs the same weekends, although not all the weekends.
A talented and intelligent kid — and another smart move from Fernandes
At least this guy has potential and could step into a race seat. As opposed to some Spanish gal with a wheelbarrow full of cash…
USA USA USA
Hush.
USA USA USA USA USA USA, no hushing about it.
Can i get in Aussie Aussie
OI OI!
As a fellow american, I too can also share Jonathan’s sentiments.
Excellent! This is a step in a great direction. I wish Alex all the best… and can’t wait for him to move on up to the big show! The sooner America witnesses a driver on the podium… the better. Let’s hope he gets there.
It looks like Rossi might be being groomed as the next Caterham GP driver. Two years time he could be in the F1 seat if he does well over the next two years.
If he does well in World series this year and GP2 the following year he could be well placed to step into a F1 seat sin 2014 if either one becomes available.
With GE as a major sponsor, three F1 races in North America, a dynamic and effective Rossi would be a good match for the Tony Fernandez’ team…..
What’s with these pretending to be F1 teams all hell-bent on signing wanna be drivers?
What, in your opinion… would constitute a ‘real’ formula one team, or a ‘real’ driver? Did Caterham not design and develop their own car this year? What about Rossi makes him a ‘wanna be’ driver.
Great news! Expect to see him race in Austin…
Not a surprise at all. I expected this announcement a while back, to be honest. Guido van der Garde is a decent young driver, but Rossi has shown far more potential thus far (plus he’s younger), so giving him the Friday role is smart. Plus it will get Caterham some exposure at the USGP, which can’t hurt, although I’m not sure he’ll get the bump to drive the race over Kovalainen (the undisputed team leader) or Petrov (who paid good money for the seat in the first place). Still very promising to see a young American advancing up the ranks.
This is a swell time if you’re an American F1 fan. We have this young up-and-comer who won the Formula BMW Americas championship in dominating fashion and go on to sweep the World Final and then go on to finish no less than 4th in points and taking at least 2 race wins a year since he’s been contesting feeder series in Europe. He is one of the front runners in FR3.5 this upcoming season along with reigning champion, Robert Wickens. I think that it’s fitting that his foot in the door in F1 would be with an up-and-coming team in Caterham. With the addition of Vitaly Petrov, KERS and a year of R&D with the Renault engine (which has won 4 WDC’s in the least 7 years) under their belts, I expect Caterham to begin cutting the gap to midfield and begin to contest for their first points. I could see Tony Fernandez allowing Alexander a one-off drive in Austin as he did for Karun Chandok in India last year. That would be a good thing because American companies would be given the oppurtunity to see him put his talents on display on network television and hopefully the sponsorship money starts pouring in. How many stickers do you see on a NASCAR on any given Sunday? Do you also see how drivers from other countries have huge backing from companies in their homeland? Why aren’t we supporting our open wheel driver’s the in the same way? In a way it’s okay because Alex’s talent and ability has gotten him where he’s at. He is the first relevant American in F1 since the great Mario Andretti and I have a feeling that this guy is going to build a legend of his own. Cheers!
What makes you think the Grand Prix in Austin will be on network television? I would think and believe it is scheduled to be broadcast on SPEED. They may enhance their coverage, like they did when the USGP was in Indy, but I think it’s going to be on the cable channel. (At least I hope it is, since anytime F-1 is broadcast on a “network channel”, it is botched. Mainstream American networks (ABC,NBC,CBS & FOX) don’t seem to get F-1, and the commentators tend to really talk down to the audience, as if we have no clue what F-1 really is). Other than that, it is a good time for OWR in the US. I am really looking forward to watching Rubens in IndyCar. Oh, and the IndyCars look much better than the current crop of formula one cars. Love the sound of the turbos.
SPEED is owned by Fox, which broadcasts some of the premier races like Monaco on prime time network air time. They did the same with Indy GP’s. If memory serves me correctly they also broadcast Monza, Silverstone, and Canada on Fox, altho they were all tape delayed.
Green and yellow? Oh dear, this is getting more confusing by the day.
Speaking of Robert Wickens – does anyone know where he will be driving this year? I had heard rumors that he would be in GP2 with Carlin (which clearly fell through) and more recently that he would be announced as a Mercedes DTM driver (which I have heard nothing about since).
It would be a shame for him to be on the outside looking in. He certainly seems like the most capable North American driver.
I cringe every time I hear the USA USA chant in an international venue. Nothing says “look at me, I am better than you” more than that idiotic chant. I wouldn’t be so quick to identify myself as an American, what with our image throughout the rest of the world. If you have no regard for how anyone else thinks about you, knock yourself out. It’s almost like another chant used to stir up the rabble, in Germany, I believe, during the late 1930′s through the mid 1940′s.
Speaking of cutural cringe, wait til you hear “aussie aussie aussie” everywhere from the bogans on booze bus Contiki tours. Its embarrassing.
Wow! Issues markdartj? Is there something wrong with having national pride? What makes you feel that “USA” means “We’re better than you” any more than other chants? If you feel so ashamed to be an American, perhaps you should move.
I was hoping to see Robert Wickens get a permanent seat this year with Marussia, and now it looks like he won’t even have a test role. Even after outclassing Vergne, Ricciardo and Rossi in Formula Renault last year. What a shame for us Canadians.
I have just read Marie Colvin’s last dispatch on 19 Feb 2012.
Joe, you need to read it before you leave for Bahrain. Take care please.
I have read it
Sort of linked to this story
LOTUS
You may remember the truly awful press release from Lotus 3 weeks ago trailing their new, ‘revolutionary and truly scene changing model that will inject new excitement into open motoring’ – to be ‘launched’ at the Geneva show.
Don’t want to say too much here – just wait ’til you see it’!
I commented then that I wouldn’t be responsible for my own thrombo if it was just an Evora with the roof cut off.
Well, just got back from Geneva and can report that it is in fact an Elise with the roof cut off – and a slightly warmed over engine.
Looks crap and earmarks a major step-forward. Obviously.
They must have spent nearly £500 million over the last 30 months to arrive at that.
OK, there may be something constructive going on behind the scenes, and Bahar may have a plan that makes sense (MAY have a plan that makes sense), but their public face is a joke.
They could have done so much more if they’d had a good PR strategy and a figurehead exec that could at least give the impression that they knew what they were doing.
Good to see the Chapman family backed the winners here. Over those inexperienced know nothing, obviously rubbish and unssuccessful people down the road at Leafield. (?!)
I suspect that there is still plenty of mileage in the ‘Histoire et Happenings chez Team Bahar’, esp with the current Proton situation.
I bet you that Genii – Renault isn’t ‘Lotus’ by mid season.
To be fair, even Porsche does this too. When manufacturers are due to release a new model, they frequently release parts bin special editions to keep the factory going.
Agreed, ANJ
I think my disappointment with Lotus stems from the ‘over promise-under deliver’ approach that they seem to be stuck with, and the fact that it always seemed to teeter on ‘over-promise never-deliver’.
If they had said ‘this is a targa top based on a small great handling car that’ll deliver lots of fun on a Sunday morning blast up and down the hills’ I’d have been more kindly disposed to them and may even have bought one.
But the daft press release that implied that they were redefining open top motoring just makes them look ridiculous and, perhaps totally out of touch with what I think is the actual image they portray.
PS
Just occurred to me that if Lotus’ funding is trimmed due to the Proton sale how the heck will Lotus quickly wind down the massive tech organisation supporting their global involvement in motorsport. They’ll also have to handle re-deployment of what must be hundreds – if not a thousand or so – highly qualified tech personnel.
Oh hang a minute – the only thing they’ll have to do is scrape the paint off the cars isn’t it ?
As for lay-offs I’m sure that the graphic designer (who actually does strike me as very good) and his 5 signwriters that currently form the core of Lotus racing organisation will be able to find ample work.
Not as bad as I thought then.