Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes he has come to the rescue of cash-strapped Caterham by laying on chartered planes for the staff ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi grand prix.

The Leafield-based marque were placed in administration last month and appeared to be on their way out of Formula One, following on the heels of Marussia.

In a last-ditch bid to save the team, London-based accountancy firm Smith & Williamson, overseeing the administration process, launched a crowdfunding project.

A target was set of £2.35 million to get the cars to Abu Dhabi and with it affording them more time to hopefully find a buyer to take the team into next season and beyond.

In hitting £1.8m on Friday of last week, joint administrator Finbarr O’Connell announced enough money had been raised to confirm the team would be heading to the Yas Marina circuit.

The crowdfunding clock has also been reset to midnight Sunday after the race, with the belief the additional revenues needed will roll in over the next few days.

After initially criticising the crowdfunding scheme, Ecclestone has now chipped in himself by waiving all freight costs and paid for the travel of the staff in attendance of the race.

Ecclestone said: “They wanted to go, so we’ve transported them at no cost to them.

“We’ve at least helped them to some degree, something we need not have done. We’ve even chartered another plane to take them.”

But he then seemed to regret the gesture by adding: “We’ve gone a little bit over the top, but anyway, we’ve done it.”