» REVEALED: Caterham’s CT01 challenger!

A day ahead of its official launch, the first pictures of the Caterham F1 team’s CT01 challenger have been revealed in the F1 Racing magazine.

With the team desperate to get a run on its rivals by launching its 2012 car before anyone else, it now acts as the barometer by which all of the other teams’ cars will be judged – at least on the style stakes – until the new cars are driven in anger in the first pre-season test.

Designed by a team headed by Mike Gascoyne, the Renault-powered CT01 sports Caterham’s bespoke gold and green livery, tight radiator housing and what appears to be pullrod rear suspension – a design feature that we expect many teams will use this year, after Red Bull Racing brought the concept back into fashion.

But the elephant in the room is at the front of the car. This year’s regulations have mandated that the nose of the 2012 cars must be lower than in previous years, and rather than coming up with the more aesthetically pleasing swooped nose, Caterham has opted for this stepped ‘beak’ (and that’s really the most flattering term we’re prepared to use at this stage).

It ain’t pretty…

[Image via Caterham F1 Media and F1 Racing]