Lotterer confirmed in Kobayashi’s seat at Spa

2014 F1 season

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Andre Lotterer will make a surprise Formula One debut in this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The German driver, who scored his third victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours for Audi earlier this year, will drive for Caterham in place of Kamui Kobayashi.

In a statement on Wednesday the team said it “will benefit from having another experienced driver at the wheel of the car throughout the weekend and the German’s feedback will contribute to improve the performance of the car”.

“The weather also plays a big role at Spa-Francorchamps and Lotterer is one of the most experienced drivers racing under mixed conditions.”

Lotterer said he’s “ready for this challenge and I cannot wait to jump in the car and make the most out of the weekend ahead”.

“I will need to get settled and used to the car quickly, as the team has worked on a number of updates and we will need to have as much time as possible out on track to optimise the car’s performance,” he added.

“I really enjoy racing at the legendary circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, it’s one of my favourite tracks and it’s very close to where I grew up, so this makes the weekend even more special and one to remember.”

Lotterer has raced at Spa twice already this year, driving Audi’s R18 e-tron quattro in the World Endurance Championship six-hour race in May and an Audi R8 LMS GT3 car in last month’s 24 Hours of Spa.

Caterham said the swap is for this race only and Kobayashi “still remains part of the team”.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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140 comments on “Lotterer confirmed in Kobayashi’s seat at Spa”

  1. Is this just for Spa, or the rest of the season? I know none of the F1 and WEC weekends clash, but there’s still 5 6-hour WEC races to go and they’re all the flyaways (as are the majority of the F1 races), so he’s going to be very busy if this is until the end of the season.

    1. Right now it’s just for one race – and the Austin WEC weekend clashes with the Singapore GP weekend.

      1. Perhaps they’re holding trials for the non-paydriver (or minimal cost) seat. Nothing to lose, I suppose.

        I can’t believe one race weekend’s feedback will have a significant impact on Caterham’s development at this point in the season.

      2. The Fuji race is on the same day as the Russian GP as well
        (and only a week after the Japanese GP – very odd scheduling)

    2. Did you even read the article before asking a question?

      1. @pastaman Yes I did, thanks. The article was shorter when I posted my comment and did not include the line “Caterham said the swap is for this race only”.

        1. @ajokay ah sorry, my bad. There has been a rash of “Ask questions first, read article later (or not at all)”

  2. Why? Just Why.

    1. Because Kobayashi has turned out to be over-rated and is being propped up by quite a bit of fan sentimentality.

      1. Most drivers are over-rated. I admit I can’t tell who’s the most over-rated out there, but KK I suspect there at least 4 ahead of KK :)

        1. Who?
          I think of….
          -Pastor Maldonado
          -Esteban Gutierrez
          -Max Chilton
          -Marcus Ericsson

          1. How are any of them over-rated? They are barely rated at all. Everyone understands why they are in the sport, so it’s not like great results are expected from them anyway. People generally tend to think of someone like Raikkonen, Vettel or Button when referring to over-rated.

      2. @spawinte

        Really hard to tell who is overrated or not while driving this car. Even the car whisperer Alonso would have trouble stroking this car to much higher places.

        Hope for Lotterer’s sake that the car is able to at least finish the race.

        1. @bullmello

          car whisperer Alonso

          LOL, that was a good one.. Oxford Dictionary guys, please take note

        2. i see 2 outcomes, 1 he crashes, 2 the car is not going to hold the whole race

          1. @marussi
            I really doubt the former, unless someone crashes into him. Sadly, the latter seems probable.

  3. Wow! So the rumours were true after all! Strange decision by Caterham to be honest with you because I don’t think he has any open wheel racing experience at all!

    1. Actually he has quite a lot of single-seater experience – see the biography which is linked in the first sentence of the article.

      1. On hearing this news I was disappointed that Kobayashi is missing this race, but even more excited at seeing the prospect of Lotterer in a Grand Prix, and Spa to boot! A lot of peoples nostalgia for 70s/80s era F1 is not only rooted is the cars of the era, but the drivers too. The grid had a greater percentage of national champion, sportscar drivers, people that were recognised from successes in other high ranking series.

        The inclusion of a 3 time outright winner of Le Mans – the single most prestigious race in the whole motorsport calendar – even if only for one race must be a good thing, right? Imagine my surprise when I read comments questioning his competence! Being a three time winner at Le Mans immediately gives him greater kudos in terms of career achievements on the grid than the likes of Ricciardo, Massa, Rosberg, and even Button.

        As good and as entertaining as Kobayashi is, and even though he probably should be taking Ericsson’s place, his presence lends the grid true gravitas – if only for the one race.

        1. Kevin McDonald
          21st August 2014, 0:01

          Its worth pointing out Allan McNish is a 3 times Le Mans winner and his F1 career was hardly stellar. Just saying that results in other categories of Motorsport don’t always translate to a different series.

          1. Yeah right, and Toyota was one of the top teams in 2002. Your comment is invalid. Best WEC drivers are equal to best F1 drivers. Put them in BTCC and we shall see.

    2. He does have experience. And on rumors: In 21st century, there’s no such thing as a rumor… I can’t even remember the last “F1 rumor” that was not confirmed a couple of days of its emergence…

      Hamilton to Mercedes, McLaren and Honda, Lotus and Mercedes, Kimi to Ferrari, Double points, Mexico GP…

      1. @jcost Don’t forget Hulkenberg to Mclaren.

      2. VDG-for-Sutil was rumored for a week. That still hasn’t happened.

        1. I do suspect that one was to give Sutil a kick up the bum.

    3. He was one of Toyota’s young drivers back in 2002, along with now IndyCar racer Ryan Briscoe. Don’t know if he actually tested during those years. Testing was allowed but usually down to the drivers or a properly appointed Tester driver.
      I feel bad for Koba, but who can blame him for clinging to his dream? He wanted F1, not GTs. Now Ferrari won’t want him and god knows where he’ll go. IndyCar? I’d certainly love it.

      1. Indycar would be Awesome in my opinion. or he would test for Formula E ;)

  4. I honestly already miss Tony Fernandes! These new owners just seem to be doing things which are in fact going to seal their place in 11th for the constructors. I mean, with all the driver available to them they go for this guy?! Couldn’t they have signed, erm…maybe I don’t know, AN F1 DRIVER WITH EXPERIENCE IN AN F1 CAR IN THE LAST 12 YEARS!!!

    1. @mashiat Why would Webber, a respected driver, waste a weekend of his life to come back to a sport that he only left last year to drive in a car that basically is designed to end P22…?

      1. @xtwl When did I mention Webber?

        1. @mashiat I assumed you ment him with that last sentence.

          1. @xtwl I can think of a lot of drivers who are of age who have been forced to leave F1. But I will admit that unfortunately most of them have now joined Formula E! But still since it is a one-off race, maybe Van Der Garde, Pic, Di Resta or several more. Actually, why not even a GP2 driver? Or a FR 3.5 one? Leimer? Or Haryanto?

          2. @mashiat, nevermind I just misunderstood your last sentence.

          3. @xtwl No problemo!

    2. They hired the team principle from one of the few recent F1 teams less accomplished than Caterham if that says anything. I hope that Gene Haas can have some success to show that it’s still possible to start an F1 team.

    3. He as open wheel experience. He has hybrid power experience… who knows? Seems to me he’s better equipped than Max Verstappen… However that’s a strange move, so strange I think that “one race contract” is in exchange of big bucks.

    4. Lotterer is a very good driver, one of the fastest in an LMP1 car. Whether that transfers to an F1 car is hard to say (Webber isn’t exactly setting the WEC alight), but even if he doesn’t have great pace he can still be useful from a development point of view.

      1. one of the fastest in an LMP1 car

        Indeed. His stints in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans were mighty, as they have always been. I honestly hope he can have a decent result in Belgium.

    5. Maybe they want to give him some F1 experience, given the fact that he is currently one of the best racing drivers in the world (yes, there are people better than F1 drivers). And it’s not like Caterham is a winning team – even if he doesn’t do well it won’t make any difference.

  5. What’s the point in having a driver with no experience for 1 race?!

    1. To give them feedback to help them decide on a direction to take development.

      Sometimes bringing someone in even if its just for 1 run can validate the data from the existing drivers & help the engineer’s & design team find the correct route for further development of not only the 2014 car but also the 2015 car.

      Lotterer may not have any recent F1 experience but he is very well respected for providing exceptional feedback on how whatever cars he’s driving is working.
      I believe he was one of the primary test drivers for the current Super Formula car which is is now racing in that series over in Japan. He also does a lot of the testing for Audi’s LMP1 program.

      1. To give them feedback to help them decide on a direction to take development.

        Is it about the feedback he can provide to Caterham, or about what he may be able to provide for Audi/VW? I think it´s odd all this happens shortly after Bernie´s legal issues in Germany ended, which was the thing that hindered Audi/VW from getting into F1.

    2. I lol’ed here.

      [the team] will benefit from having another experienced driver at the wheel of the car throughout the weekend and the German’s feedback will contribute to improve the performance of the car

      Depends what you mean with experience.

      Experience in F1? then the duo Kamui – Ericsson is better than Lotterer – Ericsson in that respect. Experience in the “big leagues”. Then Kamui – Lotterer would be better.

      Plus I don’t see how a guy that’s not driven an F1 car since probably 2002, when he was tester for Jaguar, would help improve anything…

      As with everything… it’s got to do with money… at least I hope it’s just for 1 race.

    3. Lotterer has plenty of experience and an F1 car is not a million miles away from an LMP1 as some people would like to believe.

    4. Andre Lotterer is a massively experienced racing driver. You have to remember @mashiat is that there are more racing series than just Formula One. He’s won Le Mans three times and the Japanese Super Formula championship twice. That’s a bloody good CV if you ask me.

      1. @craig-o Yes, but is it good enough to help Caterham achieve 11th or higher, considering it sometimes even takes active drivers time to adjust to a new car…and all in, and for, 1 race with the worst car out in the field right now.

    5. I will just repost the same reply as above:

      Maybe they want to give him some F1 experience, given the fact that he is currently one of the best racing drivers in the world (yes, there are people better than F1 drivers). And it’s not like Caterham is a winning team – even if he doesn’t do well it won’t make any difference.

      And I suppose that their other driver is very experienced.
      Seriously, what is the matter with people favouring F1 drivers over everyone else???

  6. Ironically the best circuit for Lotterer to substitute for Kobayashi would surely be Suzuka. Lotterer has huge experience there from over a decade in Japanese Super Formula, racing on it as often as three times per season and more if you add his Super GT entries. Whereas Kobayashi, having spent most of his junior career in Europe, has far less experience at his home track, particularly in powerful single-seaters.

    There’s no reason why Lotterer couldn’t replace Ericsson of course, though that is also true in this case…

    1. @keithcollantine I’m right in saying Ericsson brings money but Lotterer and Kobayashi don’t? The old talent and hope for a wet race and a point vs last and money in the bank problem.

      1. @rbalonso Yesterday’s AMuS article says Lotterer brings a sponsor called Hype, an energy drink company run by former F1 driver Bertrand Gachot.

        1. @hunocsi I guess that is the answer…

          1. Hadn’t seen that, thanks @hunosci

        2. From Wiki:
          Hype Energy was first developed in 1993 by Ashley Roy, Nigel Spiro,and David Harris. [10][11] and backed by Hard Rock Cafe founder, Barry Cox.[12] Hype Energy became heavily involved in motor-sport by first sponsoring the Arrows Formula One team [13] and subsequently Benetton F1,[14] Williams F1,[14] a NASCAR outfit and several motorbike teams. Associated with the Formula One party lifestyle and with a strong presence in the paddock, Hype Energy committed to considerable amounts of sponsorship in an attempt to achieve global recognition and establish worldwide distribution. In 1997, having established a credible brand, Hype Corporation (the holding company) decided to pull back from the sport to focus on resolving manufacturing difficulties, which were restricting further growth.

    2. But on the other hand, Kobayashi did score à podium at Suzuka …

    3. The comedic bit here is the point tha Lotterer has experience in bad weather or mixed conditions. How does he have some special experience there, given that F1 races in rain as well? To the contrary, why would you put a guy into a formula car with tires, braking, and DF characteristics with which he has no history, an which are diabolical for even experienced drivers, on one of the the fastest and most dangerous tracks on the calendar? I’m a fan of Lotterer, he’s very good, but if conditions are difficult I see him spending some time in the gravel.

    4. Yes, well keep in mind that Kamui got a podium in Japan when he was with Sauber. Kamui is better for the sport. Remember the risks he took driving for Toyota? That was exciting, he did well for sauber as well. If you put him in a McLaren or Ferrari he would be highly competitive.

      1. @irejag

        If you put him in a McLaren or Ferrari he would be highly competitive.

        The less experienced Sergio Perez beat him when the pair were team mates at Sauber in 2012, than had a less-than-great campaign with McLaren the following year. That doesn’t say to me that Kobayashi is a top-drawer talent waiting for a good car.

        1. to be fair Keith PER good results whilst at sauber were a result of good luck and strategy, similar to RIC’s results this season, right place right time.

          Although i too agree, placed in a McLaren or a Ferrari this season and he’d do no better than the current drivers. Give him the Mercedes and he would win a race. Give Erricson the mercedes and he’d win a race… give Max Chilton the Mercedes and he might even score his first point!

        2. You need to look further than just the results to compare drivers. Perez was consistently performing but Kobayashi was sometimes outstanding. Look at the qualiyings first: 3rd at China, second and Spa (and then bowled out by grosjean) and 3rd at Suzuka. Perez was 5th at best. The races were more inconspicuous but he provided fantastic overtakes that no other driver would dare try.. meanwhile Perez tried to overtake Hamilton at “kobayashi corner” at suzuka and spun off, retiring. Watch the interlagos race to see Alonso getting his butt handed to him in the rain by kamui. I’m not a kobayashi fan but I can see what is justified and what isn’t, and your comment lacked justification.

          1. Have to agree here. Perez achieved his results by qualifying further back and using risky, tyre managing strategies, while Kamui, having qualified further ahead, would have to follow a more conservative “follow the rest of the pack” ones. His Japanese Grand Prix podium was a true masterclass of driving in a strategy like the ones of the bigger teams- a front runner strategy. A regularly spectacular driver. Does he get into trouble with collisions? He does. But shouldn’t that be because he is a driver whose skill is beyond its car level and trying desperately to push to the limit? F1 needs drivers like Kamui. Definitely not overrated. I would say he is underrated. Give him a Sauber right now and I suspect he would bring it to the much needed points. Give him a Mclaren or a Williams and he would be fighting for victories. I would be willing to eat a HAT if these top teams where to accept this challenge. I know what I saw when I saw Kamui racing in the Macau GP. He’s up there with the Hamiltons, Vettels and Rosbergs . A Shame I’m not a “Helmut Marko” or I would definitely give him a chance in a top car!

  7. If Caterham are putting in Lotterer just for Spa, does this mean that they’ll be looking for other drivers that are ‘specifically skilled/knowledgeable’ for each future race?

    1. @witsinfr a good one :D

    2. Maybe Emerson Fittipaldi is next…

      1. or Ralf Schumacher ^^

        1. Christijan Albers could even have a last dance?

  8. He must have a Lotterer money lying around

    1. Either that or he recently won the lotterer.

  9. mattshaw85 (@)
    20th August 2014, 12:16

    Seems a bit of a shame for someone of his calibre to come in as a back marker. I suppose it’d be something to say you’ve done how ever many le mans wins you have.

  10. Urgh Caterham..

  11. I can’t believe Caterham’s words. Kobayashi is quite an experienced driver and just for that and the reason Lotterer has big rain skills to replace him for one race… Sounds ridiculus and like a statement from circus director. They could ditch Ericsson, which has just 11 race experience. I don’t see any other reason other than money. Caterham is turning into a joke, F1 actually does not need such teams.

    1. I would read into Caterham’s words that, for all his experience, Kobayashi does not give good technical feedback necessary for developing and setting up the car.

      1. Hearing interviews with kobayashi i think that his rather crude English will be hurting his communication skills. And i always wondered how he could give detailed feedback with the lack of language skills on his side. I guess you now shown why i felt that way.

        1. Given all the money F1 drivers spend on personal trainers, you would think a competent translator would be a sound investment. Failing that, a decent English for Motorsport textbook.

    2. Caterham are not turning F1 tin to a joke. They’re simply trying to survive, and what’s wrong with that?
      People are all up in arms about the overlooked Red Bull Junior drivers, but the fact is Red Bull have 2 teams, and 8 drivers good enough to race in F1. What do you do to get drivers in to the sport if the small teams can’t survive?

      We need more teams, not less.

  12. Super Fomula driver result
    1. Kazuki Nakajima
    2. Andre Lotterer
    3. Loïc Duval
    10. Narain Karthikeyan
    11. Vitantonio Liuzzi

  13. WHY DIDN’T HE REPLACE ERICSSON! Argh that would have been 1 rubbish driver out of F1, 4 to go, but no. I’m starting to not care if Caterham leaves F1 if that makes sense.

      1. £££ ;)

        1. we know that Marcus is doing a bad job in that bad car. but enough of all this bashing. i am a swede and i support him but i agree that he could do better..

  14. Anyone know what number he will race under?

    1. He can actually use the number 2 since it’s available…

      1. I must say that it would be amazing if he did get to use no. 2 on the caterham

    2. Thanks guys :)

      1. Thanking you ! :)

  15. I’ve heard many reports that say Kamui’s feedback is rubbish, partly due to his poor English skills. He’s fast, but come on guys, just because you’ve never heard of Andre doesn’t mean he’s a pay driver! He’s one of the best drivers in the world, and if he gives Caterham some good feedback for their new update, this makes perfect sense. I love Kamui, he’s such a nice guy, but he should have known that driving for free, and bringing almost no money to the team would be risky, I wonder if he’ll be able to be his AF Corse seat back?

    1. I’ve heard many reports that say Kamui’s feedback is rubbish, partly due to his poor English skills.

      But he spended most of his junior career in Europe, no? I think his English isn’t too bad.

      1. I realised after I posted that that I should have actually posted to links to the stories that contain that. I’m trying to find them. But I’m not having a go, as I say, I love Kamui, he’s genuinely funny, a lovely guy and I agree with you that English isn’t that bad, but it’s not good either. I can’t think of any other reason to replace him other than for feedback, and as I said, Kamui is playing with fire, driving for free.

      2. Japanese fans sometimes say he seems to be poorer at Japanese than English.

      3. It isn’t bad. He sometimes is a little hard to understand in interviews thanks to his accent but his english is not worse than, say, Alonsos’s. Just watch some interviews on YouTube.

        1. Of course, it could be that language is not actually the problem but a lack of technical expertise.

    1. A bit unfair comparing him with Johnny Carwash! He’s nearer Damon Hill’s age when he made it into F1.

    2. @keithcollantine Awesome! There’s still hope for me yet at almost 31.

  16. Seems an odd decision. As a big WEC fan I have nothing but the biggest respect for all the Audi guys, but it’s such a different racing environment. Lotterer is going to have a massive task ahead to get near to the pace of Kobayashi, and realistically is going to struggle with his inexperience of the tyres. If he does a decent job, finds relatively good pace, and finishes the race without major incident, then it will be a massive accomplishment.

    Still though, you have to wonder whether this is more about feedback and development, and maybe there is a bigger picture that Caterham are looking at, maybe with a longer term prospect for Lotterer to be a development driver.

    I’d hate for him to end up a bit like Luca Badoer.

    1. finds relatively good pace

      I’m betting on Ericcson for quali …

  17. I have no issue with this at all as Lotterer is a top notch driver and I’ll be interested to see what he can do even in such limited machinery. What I am curious to know is how this all came about. I had no idea he was even looking for a seat.

  18. So how long before “For Rent” graces the sidepods of the Caterhams in lieu of real sponsorship?

  19. I really hope he beats Ericsson this weekend, that would show Caterham that they should have replaced him, not Kobayashi.

    1. +1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

      1. And if Alonso beats Kimi … Ferrari made a really bad choice

    2. Totally agree.

  20. I gather that one of the primary reasons for this is that they want to bring someone in to evaluate the car & give them more feedback/data.

    Lotterer is very well respected in that regard & he’s shown a good level of speed to go along with that.

    As to why Kobayashi rather than Ericsson, There may well be a financial consideration but also why disrupt Ericsson’s rookie season? Ericsson may not be doing mega well but he’s not necessarily doing terribly either & taking track time away from him can only hurt him (And any other rookie driver).

    1. (And any other rookie driver)

      Should read As it would any other rookie driver.

    2. @gt-racer – “As to why Kobayashi rather than Ericsson, There may well be a financial consideration”

      That thought came to mind, could be contractual with Ericsson.

  21. Kobayashi must regret leaving AF Corse so much right now. I bet he was paid better too and spending your career in WEC is fine. I’d say having a competitive car in WEC is far better than being a backmarker in F1… I’m sure Kamui agrees by now.

    1. Or, in the case of Lotterer, you could have both..

    2. I bet he was paid better too

      Well he isn’t paid this year, he paid Caterham $1 million to race in 10 races …

  22. That’s probably one of the weirdest driver substitutions in recent times. Lotterer is a very experienced driver, but I’m not sure if he can be more helpful in one weekend than Kobayashi. If he would replace Kobayashi for multiple races, it would make a lot more sense to me. Or replace him with Kovalainen instead of Lotterer. Or replacing Ericsson instead of Kobayashi.

    Anyway, there’s surely a lot more to it than just ‘experience’. Kobayashi has probably run out of money by now, so Caterham needs a new driver. Now, why would they take Lotterer instead of more sensible cash machines such as Leal, Cecotto or Haryanto? Or is Caterham just trying to think ‘outside the box’? I honestly have no idea what Caterham’s reasoning is.

    Whatever it is, it smells like desperation. Nonetheless, I hope Lotterer has a great weekend and that can prove that the age at which you make your début doesn’t matter.

    1. Publicity stunt. Why else would you put someone in a car for a SINGLE RACE? Then again he’ll probably bring some money in for it somehow.

      I like Lotterer, but I hope Caterham have an absolute stinker this weekend (not that their season has been any good anyway).

    2. @andae23 True for one, especially seeing as they have a Spa specialist in reserve (Robin)

      1. I hope for the sake of all those busting a gut in the race team and at the factory have a cracker ,

        Maybe put a bit of spirit back in what i can only imagine a diffucult place of late to work in ,

        And to those from Caterham without a job in F1 i hope they find new employment or that nice sandy beach ,

        I really cant dislike that team just because its management has used a wrecking ball

        1. ” more ” competitive teams

          Not

          “4 ” competitive teams

  23. Gutted to see Kamui out, but at least their replacing him with a genuinely skilled driver rather than some hack with a wad of cash. Lotterer is one of the most skilled drivers outside of F1. It’s just a shame that the car he’s been given won’t give him a chance to display his immense talent.

  24. Should’ve given Di Resta a try…say no salary for this race etc and just get in & drive….that could’ve been his way back in….or Anthony Davidson for that matter!

  25. I for one, am actually excited to see Lotterer get a chance to show his ability. He’s not very young, but I remember an older Sebastien Loeb being linked to a Toro Rosso seat a few years ago. Okay, Lotterer’s no Loeb, but he’s certainly a very able driver, he actually has a decent record in single-seaters too.
    I think it was only obvious that Kobayashi would be the one to be axed, not Ericsson, in case of such an event, because Kamui brings much less money to the team, and isn’t bringing much apart from a few tenths here and there. But let’s face it, his decision to forgo a continuation of his full-paid factory drive with Ferrari in WEC to get a fan-funded seat at a team with no technical direction and firmly rooted to the bottom of the table will rank as one of the stupidest decisions in the history of decision-making. It was a foolhardy thing, and a bit of pragmatism is always good.
    And of course, there’s that side note that he’s overrated in quite a few quarters. The Kamui we see now is not the banzai driver we saw in 2009-10, he’s not nearly as quick as some others who deserve a chance, and beating Ericsson is not much of a feat. He is a popular person, but as a driver, I’m not sure if he deserves all the accolades. He’s been projected in much the same way as Kovalainen was..a lone warrior in a world of big bucks. Well, unlike Kovalainen and like Glock, he had a chance of pursuing motorsport elsewhere, in a pretty prestigious circuit. Instead, unlike Glock, a cloud of doubt hangs over his entire motoring future, quite like Kovalainen.

  26. weird that they swapped out Koba instead of Ericsson… #moneytalks ?

    1. That is surely a contractual thing. Ericsson has probably bought his seat for the whole season in a way that would make Caterham pay a (bigger) fine if they were not to race him.

  27. I foresee a similar result as luca badoar in the ferrari. This guy is not f1 material and will not be on the pace instantly with no recent f1 testing. Well done caterham for making a mockery of the sport and not supporting your drivers. Your car is a dud and always will be, bringing in a lemans driver for 1 race will not improve anything, but rather make it worse. Your lead drivers will have no faith in you now caterham. This whole lotus/caterham team was a farce from the start, intended to make a few people some money over 3-5 years, it will diasapear soon now fernandez has dtched it.

    1. Having missed the two Bad Hour races from the Italian, I’m looking forward to this weekend’s race :D

  28. He will become the first driver to win Le Mans and race in Formula One in the same year since Yannick Dalmas in 1994.

  29. Kamiu is overrated (altough good driver).
    And Lotterer is very good (there is life beside F1 you know…).
    Hoping for a good weekend for Caterham.

  30. Third drivers are meaning less and less these days.

  31. I just realized that Lotterer is almost old enough to be Max Verstappen’s father! It’s a polarized week in F1…

  32. I got robbed of seeing a great driver get his due five years ago when Luca Badoer drove for Ferrari.

    Twenty years ago, another equally hard-working, talented driver, like Lotterer, was cruelly taken away from us – Roland Ratzenberger. Another 30-something rookie who busted his hump just to make it to F1 with an upstart team yet was more than happy to be here.

    Maybe Lotterer’s story has a happy ending. A point for Caterham would be a minor miracle.

    1. How did you get robbed of Badoer he was an awful driver.

  33. How exciting. Good luck to him.

  34. Colin Kolles is just an asset stripper.

    Albjers, Kolles and Lotterer are all friends outside of F1.

    This is just a favour for a mate by Kolles before he strips the team, folds it and runs off with all the money whilst stiffing the employees. Like he did with HRT.

    Kolles should be ostracised from the sport. He’s worse than Bernie. At least Bernie give something back.

  35. I’m not happy, but good luck to him!

  36. Oh how i can not wait to see Ericsson lol. Imagine being beaten in qually here.

  37. I found an exclusive picture of the Caterham CT05B. Apparently, it should be significantly faster.

  38. Re: Lotterer at Spa replacing Kamui
    Caterham is getting lots of attention for an interesting move – that’s got to be good for them.
    The team is getting access to a potential sponsor – also good for them.
    No doubt Bernie approves, it’s “good for the show”, good for Caterham.
    Lotterer may well provide interesting feedback; fresh eyes, lots of testing and development experience – maybe not so much at the detailed mechanical level, but certainly at the operational and organisational level. Could be very useful.
    On the downside, they lose Kamui for a race, a fan favourite and the only Japanese driver, so we can assume that Caterham isn’t courting Honda for engines in the near future.
    I think it’s a brave and positive move by Caterham. I wish them luck, and mixed weather.

  39. I suppose this gives them a lot of publicity. Nothing to lose by doing that as well. I wonder if they intend to do that at different races i.e bring in surprise cameos. I would like to see Sebastian Loeb, maybe they can also get some Indy Car drivers for some tracks, keep everyone guessing.

  40. The last time a german driver made a one of appearance mid season he was leading the race by lap 3. Lets wait and see…

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