Caterham confirm factory move to Leafield

Caterham F1 Team and its GP2 team Caterham Racing have today confirmed their long rumoured move to a new factory, closer to F1's Silicon Valley of Oxfordshire.

They are proposing to move from their Norfolk based operation to Leafield, in August 2012, although some areas of the business will stay in Norfolk.

As the Caterham Group looks to expand, Team Principal Tony Fernandes believes that housing both racing teams and Caterham’s road car operation together will help the group to grow as a whole. “Acquiring Caterham Cars and establishing the wider Caterham Group, it became clear that we needed to house the car company in the same facility as our racing operations, to give us the best chance to meet our future goals on and off track”.

The planned move, which is taking place during F1’s Summer break, came as simple decision when looking to develop. "We began looking for a site that could be adapted to suit the future needs of our racing and road car operations and Leafield quickly became the obvious choice," added Fernandes.

The Leafield Technical Centre has been a base for several Formula One teams including Arrows and more recently Super Aguri.

Although the bulk of work will take place at Leafield, the team is planning to keep some of its production in Norfolk. “The factory in Hingham is where the dream began, and we will continue to develop that site into the new permanent home for Caterham Composites," added Fernandes. "Caterham Technology and Innovation will also remain in Norfolk, demonstrating our long-term commitment to our first home.”

The team has been at its current Norfolk base since it was first granted entry into Formula One in September 2009 and the proposed move is aimed at pushing the Caterham Group into a new stage of its life. “This will be the next chapter in the development of both our motor racing teams and our road car company and gives us the best chance to keep progressing on track and, in future, on the road with Caterham Cars," said Fernandes.