Tony Fernandes has said that the 2012 season will be a "critical year" for his new Caterham team, as he laid out his plans for the future of his renamed Formula One team in a statement following the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Brazilian race represented the final time that Fernandes's F1 team competed in the sport as Team Lotus.
From the start of 2012, the team will be renamed 'Caterham F1 Team', after Fernandes bought the British car company earlier this year.
And Fernandes said that the 2012 season represented a "critical year" for the team, as they attempt to establish themselves on the Formula One grid.
"Caterham F1 Team is the new and permanent incarnation of our Formula One investment," Fernandes rambled in the statement.
"On and off track we continue to invest in people, infrastructure and technology and 2012 is a critical year in our development."
He added that despite the team initially planning to make a long-term move to Malaysia from their current base in Norfolk, the team would remain in the UK for the foreseeable future.
"The [Caterham] group will be based across a number of centres of excellence...our motorsport interests will be based in one location that we are close to announcing, and our technology and composites interests will be based in Norfolk," he rambled.
He added: "With those plans now complete we have the foundations in place for long-term growth and success, and now we are in complete control of our own destiny.
"We have a very exciting future ahead of us and are all looking forward to seeing the rewards of our hard work pay off for many years to come."
Meanwhile, the F1 team was linked with a move for current Red Bull protégé Daniel Ricciardo for the 2012 season, to replace Jarno Trulli.
The team had been expected to retain Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen for a third successive season in 2012, but a report from Autosport on Monday suggested that they may take Ricciardo on loan instead.
According to the report, Red Bull are keen to retain current pairing Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi at Toro Rosso, with Jean-Eric Vergne coming in as a full-time reserve driver.
That would leave Ricciardo, who has been on loan at HRT for the second half of 2011, without a seat.
But the suggestion now is that Red Bull will seek to place the Australian in the new Caterham squad for 2012, alongside Kovalainen.
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