Caterham: F1 drivers who refuse to contribute 'almost irresponsible'
Caterham boss Cyril Abiteboul says Formula 1 drivers who refuse outright to help bring in sponsorship for teams are "almost irresponsible."
He emphasised that he was not demanding that all F1 drivers paid for their seats, but reckons racers have a duty to help their teams in the current economic climate.
"For me drivers are just an extra assistance to see those commercial opportunities that can be generated either by them or us," Abiteboul told AUTOSPORT.
"It is not that you have paying drivers or non paying drivers.
"Some drivers have made it very public - and it annoys us - that they will not make any form of contribution, which honestly I do not like because everyone is making a contribution.
"For instance Fernando [Alonso] and some of the sponsors who have been believing in him and following him since the start of his career.
"Almost all the drivers have a feeling that there must be some form of contribution that they make beyond their sporting duties.
"That is why drivers saying 'I am not a paying driver, I don't want to be one of those', is almost irresponsible because we are investing massive money to create value around those people and around those drivers.
"So for me it is only fair that drivers do make a contribution, not [necessarily] a financial contribution, but at least assist and create opportunities for the teams to generate value.
"It is a bit more complex than people tend to sometimes summarise. Yes, we will be expecting that the drivers help, but not necessarily by bringing money."
CATERHAM 'EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE' FOR SPONSORS
When Caterham started in F1 as Team Lotus in 2010, it paid salaries to race-winning drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli.
Its 2013 drivers Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic's deals both had commercial elements.
Abiteboul admitted that Caterham faced a difficult financial situation going into the 2014 rule change having lost 10th place in the constructors' championship to Marussia, but was optimistic about its sponsorship prospects.
"We have a season that is going to be more expensive, we have prize money that is going down, we have expectations to move up the grid," he said.
"There is still a lot of interest for what we are, as a project.
"The Caterham project is something that is extremely attractive and actually I am very positively surprised by the interest that is generated and the belief that people continue to have in us, even after four years.
"That is why it is important to deliver. With just a little bit more performance, we will have fantastic commercial opportunities."
Statistics: F1's most successful numbers through the ages
Top drivers skip F1 tyre test, Ferrari calls up de la Rosa, Bianchi
NASCAR bans Chastain Martinsville wall-ride manoeuvre
NASCAR has decided to ban the wall-ride manoeuvre made famous by Ross Chastain at Martinsville that secured him a place in the Championship 4.
Gasly: Mindset for Alpine is "completely different" to Red Bull F1 move
Pierre Gasly says he has a "completely different" mindset for his Alpine Formula 1 move thanks to lessons taken from his failed stint at Red Bull in 2019.
GTD Pro win a “proper send-off” for retiring IMSA stalwart MacNeil
Winning the GTD Pro class at the Daytona 24 Hours was a fitting way for Cooper MacNeil to retire from racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, says team-mate Jules Gounon.
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.