Another two familiar faces look set to be missing when the new formula one season kicks off in March.
Juan Pablo Montoya, Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher will be notably absent from the Melbourne paddock, while Ferrari’s long time technical director Ross Brawn has opted for a likely “sabbatical”.
The British magazine Autosport now says Ferrari’s loss might be threefold, as race and test manager Nigel Stepney is reportedly unhappy to have been left behind in the recent Maranello reshuffle.
After joining the Italian marque in 1992, the Briton is considering a sabbatical in order to return to Ferrari alongside Brawn in 2008, and possibly a switch to a rival team.
He said: “I really want to move forward with my career and that’s something that’s not happening right now.”
It is also reported that Frank Dernie, a long time colleague of boss Sir Frank Williams who returned to the Oxfordshire based squad as a consultant engineer in 2003, has left the Toyota powered team.
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
