After two rounds of the 2013 championship Caterham look to be propping up the order.
However Giedo van der Garde, their newly signed driver for this season, believes that the green team can fight back and challenge rivals Marussia.
Having beat fellow "new" team Marussia, they both joined the F1 field in 2010, for the past three years the Leafield based squad look to have fallen behind their Banbury based competitors.
The Dutch driver was talking to AUTOSPORT about the troubles that the team have faced so far, saying "The car was hard to drive, especially as the tyre drop off was much higher than my team-mate because the diffuser was gone,"
He was referring to damage at last weekends Malaysian Grand Prix when he slid off track on the lap to the grid, damaging the underside of his CT02.
He continued "Like this we still managed to keep me in front of Chilton, so it was good experience."
Despite van der Garde managing to beat Chilton in Malaysia, he has consistently been slower than his team mate and Marussia's Jules Bianchi. However both he and the team are pinning their hopes on a big upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix.
"We know where we are at the moment, and we know in Barcelona an upgrade is coming. [The next] two races won't be easy but for [after] we can make a good step. Marussia has a little advantage but hopefully we can fight them."
The 27-year-old admitted that he has a lot to learn too, it is not all the cars fault. "It's how it is at the moment. It's not an easy car but I'm very happy. The team let me learn step by step, all the procedures, the way you drive, the tyres, so for me it has been good."
"It is different. [Before in GP2] you wait [at the front of the grid], look in the mirror, the cars are coming, first gear and away you go. Here it is like, select neutral and oh sh*t the lights go on."
He added "So the philosophy is a bit different but it's where we are at the moment. Race by race it'll get better."
Caterham and van der Garde's team-mate Charles Pic will be hoping that their big upgrade in Spain, the first since early in testing, will be enough to improve their current position. The battle for 10th in the constructors is still well and truly on.
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| (c) Caterham F1 Team |
Having beat fellow "new" team Marussia, they both joined the F1 field in 2010, for the past three years the Leafield based squad look to have fallen behind their Banbury based competitors.
The Dutch driver was talking to AUTOSPORT about the troubles that the team have faced so far, saying "The car was hard to drive, especially as the tyre drop off was much higher than my team-mate because the diffuser was gone,"
He was referring to damage at last weekends Malaysian Grand Prix when he slid off track on the lap to the grid, damaging the underside of his CT02.
He continued "Like this we still managed to keep me in front of Chilton, so it was good experience."
Despite van der Garde managing to beat Chilton in Malaysia, he has consistently been slower than his team mate and Marussia's Jules Bianchi. However both he and the team are pinning their hopes on a big upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix.
"We know where we are at the moment, and we know in Barcelona an upgrade is coming. [The next] two races won't be easy but for [after] we can make a good step. Marussia has a little advantage but hopefully we can fight them."
The 27-year-old admitted that he has a lot to learn too, it is not all the cars fault. "It's how it is at the moment. It's not an easy car but I'm very happy. The team let me learn step by step, all the procedures, the way you drive, the tyres, so for me it has been good."
"It is different. [Before in GP2] you wait [at the front of the grid], look in the mirror, the cars are coming, first gear and away you go. Here it is like, select neutral and oh sh*t the lights go on."
He added "So the philosophy is a bit different but it's where we are at the moment. Race by race it'll get better."
Caterham and van der Garde's team-mate Charles Pic will be hoping that their big upgrade in Spain, the first since early in testing, will be enough to improve their current position. The battle for 10th in the constructors is still well and truly on.
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