Caterham crowdfunding helps British woman’s F1 debut bid
BRITISH racer Alice Powell is hoping to make her Formula One debut at this month’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for financially troubled team Caterham – but admits she has never driven an F1 car.
Powell, 21, is in line to take part in free practice at the season’s final race after her grandfather chipped in to a crowdfunding scheme to keep the stricken outfit competing.
The former Formula Three driver currently races in Formula Renault Asia, where cars typically have 200 brake horsepower – three times less than in Formula One.
“The horsepower and the power of the F1 car is incredible,” she said. “The power difference would be quite a lot also. It’s a bigger car and a bigger beast.”
Caterham driver Marcus Ericsson, meanwhile, yesterday quit the Oxfordshire outfit. The Swede has finished 11 of 16 races in his maiden F1 campaign.