Ecclestone steps in to try to save Caterham

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Caterham's holding company – Caterham Sports Limited – was placed into administration on Tuesday, plunging the future of the team into doubt.

Prospective new owners Engavest – a company based in Switzerland – announced on Wednesday that they could quit the team due to a dispute with former owner Tony Fernandes, leading to fears that Caterham may not be able to see out the 2014 season.

Those concerns have deepened with the decision of administrators to lock down the team's factory on Thursday, just eight days before the first practice session for United States Grand Prix.

But Ecclestone is keen to ensure that F1 does not lose the perennial backmarkers from the grid.

"We're trying to help in any way we can, which we do with anybody that has run into a bit of difficulty," Ecclestone told BBC Sport.

"All I know is what I've been told. Not too sure it's all true either.

"It is a little bit too complicated to be able to say anything [about the team's future] with any real knowledge.

"I'd rather not lose the [smaller] teams."

Caterham came into F1 in 2012 after Fernandes bought out Lotus' place in the grid - the current outfit named Lotus in F1 is an off-shoot of the former Renault team.

But the team have struggled at the back of the grid throughout their time in the sport and have yet to claim a single point in 55 races.

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