The Caterham saga took another bizarre twist on Friday as an administrator became the new team principal.
With the gates at Leafield still locked and Saturday’s freight deadline for Austin now looming, the Colin Kolles-led management decided to step away from the beleaguered team.
In a statement, the team said it has agreed "to hand over management ... to the administrator, Mr. Finbarr O’Connell, in the higher interest of allowing the team to continue operating and preparing for the next events".
Asked by PA Sport news agency if that means he is now the team boss, O’Connell, working on behalf of unpaid creditors including a Malaysian bank, answered: "Yes, I think that is the case."
It appears likely the move is one of the last in the green-coloured team’s F1 history, with O’Connell now facing the unenviable task of keeping Caterham alive by somehow putting two cars on the US GP grid next weekend.
But when asked if he will be on the pitwall in Austin, O’Connell said: "I don’t rule anything out."