Alexander Rossi and Ma Qing Hua have been confirmed as Caterham F1 Team’s Reserve Drivers, joining Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde in the team. Rossi moves from the role of Test Driver to become the Reserve Driver and will take part in a number of FP1 sessions at races this year, beginning in Spain.
Ma Qing Hua is a new addition to the team and will drive in the FP1 session in China. He will also be racing for Caterham in GP2 this season.
Pic, Van der Garde and Ma Qing Hua . . . . thats a whole lotta pay drivers on the Caterham F1 rostrum this year!
So all seats now taken and the most promising newcomer left out in the cold. Would have been great to see Bianchi prove himself, or otherwise, in F1.
Still, I hope he will still get his chance, as I fear Lotus may have to revisit their driver line-up before too long.
I’m not convinced that Grosjean will ever learn not to panic if he sees more than one car near him. It’s a part of the brain that works fine for the others but not for Romain. As in the old saying, “You can’t teach an old trick new dogs”.
Yeah, bit like James “Hunt the shunt” Hunt, who was written off… before he went on to become WC
Joe, There’s a lot hype on Heikki Kovalainen getting the (ex) Razia seat at Marussia…. Have you heard anything? Would be great if he does!
It’s really funny to read this just a couple hours later, when it’s known that the seat went to Bianchi.
Completely off topic but perhaps you can do a piece on it Joe.
Bahrain: Talks with the King have been going on for a few weeks now, but no news from them re progress.
I am sure you follow Al Jazeera and Gulf news. Apart from the above mentioned talks it’s not looking good http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/bahrainis-hope-dialogue-will-tackle-fissures-1.1152537
BUT : Are you in touch with the guys who gave you the real on the ground situation last year? I am sure we would like to hear their view on the current and likely forward situation in Bahrain. last time you provided a realistic and alternative viewpoint, are the same guys still there?
Not exactly a stellar line up is it. Who needs stepping stones to Formula 1.
I’m quite well off, and I’ve been a bit bored lately, so you know……….damn’it, I’m going to be a GeePee Driver too. It doesn’t seem to be too difficult to persuade some team managers of your unquestioned – but to date not really seen – ability.
Signing Ma Quing Hua is a very clever move for Caterham and Formula One, as now they have a potential 1.3 billion fanbase.
isn’t it 130 billion?
Moonlight – It would be if they stopped the ‘one child one family’ policy.
There’s “only” about 7 billion people on the planet.
Exactly right Leigh O’Gorman, yet come 2050 it is predicted there will be nine billion souls inhabiting this planet.
How are we going to feed them and encourage them to watch Formula One?
When is the FIA going to tighten the requirements for a super license? A championship win in a feeder series, or at least top three finish, should be the minimum required.
Or, even better, impose a budget cap so teams can be more discerning when it comes to driver selection.
Any news on whether Rossi will drive for Caterham in GP2 as well Joe? I thought Caterham had dropped him when he wasn’t down to test for them in Jerez this week.
Aaaand the last seat at Marussia goes to Bianchi. Sloppy leftovers, which Ferrari will gladly snatch up.
I guess Marussia get technical agreements with McLaren and pay driver agreements with Ferrari… Pretty clever actually. Caterham better watch out
Joe are Caterham in trouble , they look terrible . ?
I think they need some more speed, but lets see at the first race.
Wouldnt you say that you are biased in view of your relationship with Caterham.
How is it you always jump on V.J.M. yet never mention Caterham finances
This sort of post shows a fundamental lack of respect and I am tempted to say that if you don’t respect the author, you should be reading someone else. I honestly don’t feel the need to justify myself just because you have not been reading the blog long enough to trust me. However my goal is to entertain and inform, so in the interest of that goal I will say that the Caterham team partners have not been ordered to repay $4.4 billion to investors; nor do any of them have a disastrous airline that is not operating and owes at least a couple of billion. Nor for that matter are they selling off “the family silver” to pay their debts.
If they do such things then I will write about it