Caterham administrators reveal team has made 230 staff redundant

Caterham Formula One team administrators have revealed that the team has made 230 staff redundant while they are still planning to race in next weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A former employee had accused the team was accused of burying bad news, with Friday's redundancies coinciding with the success of the team's funding project. But administrator Finbarr O'Connell said that it had been done by staff request.

He said that he is not sure this is the bad news, adding that this is what the employees as a group have been asking him to do. He claimed that this is what they want because it brings them closer to receiving money and if one speaks to any of the staff representatives, they would confirm that 14 November was the date that they gave him, The BBC reported.

The team went into administration last month and staff has not been paid since 30 September. O'Connell explained the redundancies had come at the behest of a majority of the staff who had wanted to start a formal claims process if the team is not sold.

The claims process takes at least a month before any payments are made.

Caterham sat out the last two Grands Prix in the United States and Brazil, but plan to take 40 team personnel to the Yas Marina circuit for the season finale.

O'Connell, representing administrator Smith and Williamson, would also meet a potential purchaser at the Abu Dhabi race who he believes can save the team.