A new rule for next year means cars now have to pass all the mandatory crash tests before they are allowed even to test ahead of the 2012 season.
Technical boss Mike Gascoyne, referring also to the team’s new identity after two seasons as Lotus, revealed the good news via Twitter.
“Great week,” he said on Saturday. “Renaming as Caterham F1 Team on Tuesday and today our first chassis, CT-01 passes all FIA homologation test.
“Well done all,” added Gascoyne.
According to Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, lead driver Heikki Kovalainen is confident.
“I believe that next season we will fight for the middle places. On a good day I can be close to the points,” he said.
It is rumoured that the fate of his teammate Jarno Trulli is uncertain, but the Italian also sounded confident ahead of 2012.
“Hopefully next year the sun shines some more after this season of suffering,” said the veteran.
“There is a lot of hope and good will for the new project, but ultimately it’s only about what you get on the track. The clock never lies,” said Trulli.
The 37-year-old said he is not yet ready to stop.
“After Toyota withdrew I thought about changing to a different category, but I believed then – and I still believe now – in the project with Lotus,” he insisted.
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