Kolles bringing Albers as new Caterham boss (2nd Update)
07/02/14
 |
| Christijan Albers |
Caterham has refused to comment on reports that former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers has been appointed as CEO of the team when quizzed on the matter by GPUpdate.net.
According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Tony Fernandes has sold the team to a consortium of businessmen from the Middle East and Albers will now be named as the new boss in time for this weekend's British Grand Prix. Albers was unavailable when contacted by GPUpdate.net.
Colin Kolles – former Team Principal at Force India and HRT – has also been recruited as a consultant, it is alleged. Kolles was most recently linked to Forza Rossa, the new Romanian team that was looking to join the sport in either 2015 or 2016.
The report adds that Caterham will make an official announcement later today.
Fernandes dropped a firm hint that he was looking to leave F1 last week, when he tweeted: "F1 hasn't worked, but love Caterham Cars."
The message was posted shortly before he closed his Twitter account. Fernandes' team has struggled since joining the sport back in 2010 and currently languishes at the bottom of the 2014 F1 Constructors' Championship after a difficult start to the year.
07/02/14 (GMM) A former F1 driver is returning to the sport — as a team boss.
Earlier, we reported that Colin Kolles, the former Force India and HRT chief, is set to replace the Renault-bound Cyril Abiteboul at Caterham as the struggling backmarker team changes hands.
But Germany's Sport Bild on Wednesday reports that an interesting character is coming with Kolles — former Minardi driver and Dutchman Christijan Albers.
Albers, now 35, raced under Kolles' leadership at the pre-Force India team guises of Midland and Spyker.
Albers has also driven for Kolles in DTM and, most recently, in sports cars.
But he is not making an F1 driving comeback. Correspondent Bianca Garloff claims Albers will in fact be a boss of the Caterham team.
The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf has the same story on Wednesday, claiming Albers will be Caterham's F1 chief executive.
It will be announced, the report said, in the "coming days", with Albers having already visited Caterham's Leafield factory on Tuesday.
Caterham has not commented.