Niki Lauda has turned down the chance to continue at Jaguar Racing in an advisory role after being sacked as team principal earlier this month. The three-time former world champion has decided to cut his ties with the Milton Keynes-based team after being unexpectedly ousted earlier this month.
Ford, Jaguar's parent company, had wanted Lauda to stay on as an adviser, working with the drivers and unearthing new talent, but the Austrian has said no.
"We decided to terminate the contract," Lauda has said. "I couldn't see anything I could do there. Now I'm a free man but with restrictions, as I cannot give advice to any other Formula One team for one year.
Lauda, who was also head of Ford's Premier Performance Division, was sacked little over a year after replacing Bobby Rahal at the head of the struggling team.
Jaguar will field two new drivers in next season's championship having paired Australia's Mark Webber, who had a year at Minardi, with Brazilian rookie Antonio Pizzonia. The team are still looking for a team principal having also axed 70 staff recently as part of a major restructuring.
Filed by Johnny Proby
