Charles Pic at Caterham F1 Team from 2013

And two! After Jean-Eric Vergne confirmed for 2013 at Toro Rosso on October 31, Charles Pic is the second Frenchman guaranteed to retain a starting place in F1 next year. But unlike his compatriot, the native of Montélimar will change colors.

For his first season in the premier discipline of motorsport, Charles Pic made a strong impression, exceeding the expectations placed on him by many observers. The Habs were able to rise to the level of their experienced and fast teammate Timo Glock. Even to the point of annoying the German at certain times, annoyed to sometimes see himself ahead of this young rookie of only 22 years old. His performances have not escaped anyone, and especially not Cyril Abiteboul, recently appointed Team Principal of the Caterham F1 Team, who has decided to enlist his services. “We are delighted that Charles has decided to join us for his second F1 season and beyond (his contract runs over several seasons. Editor’s note), underlines the latter. We are all looking forward to working with this young driver who has clearly shown during his first season that he has the speed and ability to help us achieve our goals. During the 2012 season, we closely followed the progress made by Charles, who gave us a hard time on various occasions in qualifying. His talent was clear to us. As the season progressed, he performed very well against his experienced teammate. We look forward to seeing him grow even more within our workforce in 2013 and beyond. We will continue to grow together. »

Delighted with his first experience of F1 at Marussia, Charles Pic, for his part, is not shying away from his pleasure at the idea of ​​joining Caterham, considering this transfer as an undeniable additional step forward. “I am proud to be able to confirm that I am set to join the Caterham F1 Team next year. I am very enthusiastic about having the opportunity to continue to mature in a team with a technical relationship with various French companies, notably Renault and Total, as well as a partnership contract with EADS. The team has big ambitions for the future. The investment already made and the decisions taken in recent months show the extent to which shareholders are involved in this march towards success, and demonstrate their eagerness to continue moving forward. Caterham Group's plan to produce sports cars in cooperation with Renault was another reason why I joined the team. I am very excited to start my second year in F1 with a team that has so much potential. Caterham F1 Team has what it takes to fight with some of the teams in front. I know how determined this team is to continue their progress, and I look forward to helping them advance on the grid. »

That's it, Charles Pic and Caterham are linked for several seasons. On Sunday, at Interlagos, Olivier Panis' protégé will compete in his last Grand Prix with the Marussia F1 Team. For pre-season testing at the start of next year, it will reappear in green and yellow, and with a Renault engine behind its back.