STAFF at Caterham Formula 1 were last night left in the dark over their future after being locked out of the motor racing team’s West Oxfordshire base.

Dozens of employees stood outside the gate at Leafield Technical Centre throughout the day after being told they could not go in after arriving for work in the morning.

Caterham Sports Limited – a separate company that designs and builds cars for the Caterham F1 team – went into administration on Monday, throwing into doubt the future of 200 jobs there.

Aerodynamics engineer Scott Herring, 38, said: “There is a core of people who really want to push on and stick with it through this difficult time.

“We want to make a good car for next year but it’s becoming very difficult.”

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Staff waited for hours to try to get inside the base so they could retrieve personal belongings, including their own tools.

The centre, raided by bailiffs last month, has previously housed the Arrows team, which went into liquidation in 2002.

In 2008 financial difficulties meant the Super Aguri F1 team, which had moved on to the site two years’ earlier, also had to leave.

A model shop worker, who previously worked for former F1 teams like Jordan Grand Prix, said: “You start feeling the vibes and think ‘here we go again’.”

The Caterham F1 team was sold by Tony Fernandes in July to a Middle Eastern and Swiss consortium, with 40 workers made redundant.

Administrators Smith & Williamson were appointed this week as up to £20m was owed to external suppliers, putting 200 jobs at risk and disrupting team preparations ahead of the final three Grand Prix races of the season.

The consortium released a statement on Wednesday accusing Mr Fernandes of failing to transfer shares to them and have taken legal action.

They added: “The administrators’ appointment has had devastating effects on the F1 team’s activities.”

One aerodynamics engineer said: “We’re disappointed and confused. We worry for the future and whether we’re going to get paid at the end of the month.”

Warwick Robinson, West Oxfordshire District Council member for Leafield, said: “The companies involved need to organise themselves quickly to sort out precisely what’s going on and who’s responsible for what because it all seems very unclear.”

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