The current season has been a difficult one to date for Hingham-backed Caterham – but team principal Cyril Abiteboul remains defiant the Norfolk marque is heading in the right direction as the British Grand Prix approaches.

Eastern Daily Press: Caterham take part in momentary Monte Carlo carnage. The 2013 season has been something of a struggle so far for the Hingham-backed constructor.Caterham take part in momentary Monte Carlo carnage. The 2013 season has been something of a struggle so far for the Hingham-backed constructor. (Image: LAT Photographic)

Caterham will have a short trip from their Leafield base to Silverstone at the end of the month, when the Formula One circus arrives in Northamptonshire.

And while Hingham's finest still find themselves behind Marussia in the constructors' championship and well off the midfield pace, there is still positivity emanating from the green and yellow outfit.

'It's fair to say our last race in Canada was disappointing, but looking at the season overall we're probably about where we thought we would be – but that does not mean that we are where we want to be,' said Abiteboul. 'Giedo van der Garde was racing right in the midfield (but) Spain also saw our first DNF for 15 races, and that continued to Monaco where we had the positive experience of Q2 for the first time in 2013 – but then a first lap nose change for Giedo and a DNF for Charles Pic.

'Had neither of those happened, even if it is impossible to predict where we would have finished, I think we'd be looking at Canada as a glitch and not the continuation of a run of relatively poor form.

'The simple truth is 2013 was always going to be a tough season but we are confident we can deliver what we have wanted since the start of the year, which is a clear positive trend towards reducing the gap to the midfield.'

And while there will be much better days ahead of Caterham, Abiteboul knows the tough days are far from over.

'We have new parts coming for nearly every race this year so we're doing what we can to keep fighting and keep learning about ourselves,' added Abiteboul. 'And I'm also afraid there will be more races like Canada where we don't do ourselves justice. Whatever happens we must make sure to learn and improve, like we are doing right now from the difficulties we had in Montreal.'