A Ferrari spokesman on Thursday clarified that Nigel Stepney is still a part of the Maranello based squad.
The Briton, who is Ferrari’s race and test technical manager, suggested this week that he is unhappy to have been left behind in a recent staff reshuffle involving the ‘sabbatical’ of technical director Ross Brawn.
Stepney, who joined Ferrari in 1992, reportedly now wants to take a year off or switch to a rival outfit.
But the Ferrari spokesman said Stepney is under contract until the end of 2007 and the document remains valid, according to the news agency Reuters.
It is also rumoured that Stepney is seeking a sabbatical so that he can return to the team in a more senior role in 2008, when Brawn might have taken over from Jean Todt as team principal.
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DailyF1News.com
