Money rules in Formula 1, as Sam Bird painfully discovered when in talks with Caterham over a seat for 2014.
Former Mercedes F1 test driver Sam Bird missed out on a race seat with Caterham due to Marcus Ericsson’s €20 million backing in 2014. Bird, a Formula E veteran, did multiple tests with Mercedes but left in 2013 knowing a race seat there was unlikely. Despite positive discussions with Caterham, Bird was abruptly removed from the simulator and informed of Ericsson’s sponsorship deal. Realizing his F1 ambitions were unrealistic without significant funding, Bird shifted his focus to other opportunities in professional motorsport, marking the end of his Formula 1 aspirations. This setback led Bird to explore different paths in the racing world, away from the elite echelons of F1.
