75 replies to this topic

[schumigal]

From http://www.f1picture...09&language_id=

Jaguar test driver Tomas Scheckter fired.

Tomas Scheckter has had his contract terminated by Jaguar Racing after appearing in court on April 25 after being charged with soliciting a prostitute.

British newspaper The Times today reported that: "Mr. Scheckter, who was sub-contracted to work for the team in the role of development driver, recently appeared in court and it is to matters concerning this appearance that the team and the Jaguar Racing board is left with no alternative but to terminate the relationship."

Scheckter - who is the son of Jody Scheckter (1979 Ferrari World Champion) - pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined £200 and had to pay £50 costs.

At present there is no news on who will replace Scheckter as test driver.

Gosh, more dramas from Jaguar team!!

I am just shocked! First Burti and now Tomas!

[arcwulf7]

Can Rahal be far behind.

[schumigal]

Before i think they will improve gradually, but looking at the internal turmoil they are having, hell it will take them more than 21 years to get to the top!

[schumigal]

Originally posted by arcwulf7
Can Rahal be far behind.

I think so, but i think will be unfair to judge him based on this year. Jean Todt took 7 years to deliver a WDC and WCC together. Can't expect Rahal to deliver the same, but definitely podium finishes in 3 to 5 years time.

[Psychoman]

Fired for being caught with a prostitute? Sheesh, I know a guy with Jaguar that does that on a regular basis *cough*Eddie*cough*;)

[schumigal]

Eddie needs to pay? *SHOCKED*

[Schumi Fan]

His father must be very proud...

[arcwulf7]

Given Eddie's 'playboy in residence' status in F1, this seems a little bizaar, if Jaguar is trying to project a squeaky clean image with this. In fact with pit groupies virtually oozing into of F1 garages, its hard to understand why Tomas would need to go this sort of route in the first place. Maybe a Hugh Grant thing i guess.

[schumigal]

Do you think it was just an excuse to fire Tomas and maybe get someone they preferred?

[MrAerodynamicist]

Originally posted by arcwulf7
Given Eddie's 'playboy in residence' status in F1, this seems a little bizaar

the fact he had to pay was probabily in danger of giving Irvine a heart-attack

[schumigal]

Originally posted by MrAerodynamicist

the fact he had to pay was probabily in danger of giving Irvine a heart-attack

Maybe Eddie should just offer Tomas his cast offs!

[BlackGhost]

Eddie Irvine pay for sex?

[Dents]

Charlie Sheen did an interview in this months Playboy, and he admitted that prostitutes were just easier to deal with. No asking them to leave, no worrying that they'll fall in love, etc. etc. No emotional baggage. pathetic.

[BlackGhost]

Originally posted by Dents
Charlie Sheen did an interview in this months Playboy, and he admitted that prostitutes were just easier to deal with. No asking them to leave, no worrying that they'll fall in love, etc. etc. No emotional baggage. pathetic.

At one point, Charlie Sheen was dating an LA porn actress who made 100's of movies. The girl was really nice but I wouldnt of touched her with a 10 foot pole if you know what I mean.

It does seem that Charlie has cleaned up his act in the past couple of years though.

[pa]

Jaguar were probably pissed that he was stupid enough to be caught. Anyway, it would have been quite easy for them to turn a blind eye to this - he must have been screwing up somehow, if you'll pardon the pun...

[fillern]

Hi schumigal,
u shouldn't have posted the link.
The storm from AtlasF1 BB readers
propably crashed their server...

[PEW]

I thought this was an odd situation because rarely are soliciting males charged, let alone the working girls. It would appear that he was "kerb crawling" (i.e. driving very slowly). That would appear not to be an image that Jaguar want to be linked with.

[FordFan]

I'm sure they were looking for a reason to dump Schekter, which is a good move for the team (he was extremely slow when he tested), but a bit unfair to him, as he didn't have a whole lot of time to prove himself.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them try for an experienced tester - but no one comes to mind. I dunno, maybe they'll push up Lotterer or Courtney.

[The Swerve]

Scheckter barely did any testing for Jag since de la Rosa was put under contract as their test driver.

[Nikolas Garth]

Originally posted by Dents
Charlie Sheen did an interview in this months Playboy, and he admitted that prostitutes were just easier to deal with. No asking them to leave, no worrying that they'll fall in love, etc. etc. No emotional baggage. pathetic.

Fair enough.

[Dimo]

As others have said, I suspect Jag was using this as an excuse. They must have something up their sleeve.

The only others I know who have had testing relationships with Jag as of late were Franchitti and Karthikeyan (sp?). I don't think Jag liked Dario much after the last test and I thought the Karthikeyan thing was more out of obligation than anything else. Either they've changed their mind on one of them or else they must have someone else in mind...

[Roadrunner]

I think Jaguar just was looking for an excuse to fire him.
There are also sources which said he was dismissed because of reckless driving.BBC ceefax said he was pleading guilty in a recent court to kerb crawling.
What ever the reason really is,I think they just wanted to get rid of him.

[george baird]

Pity it wasn't Iravine as I've always thought he hires High Class escort girls for publicity.

[magic]

FordFan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure they were looking for a reason to dump Schekter, which is a good move for the team (he was extremely slow when he tested), but a bit unfair to him, as he didn't have a whole lot of time to prove himself.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

spot on.

after damon and jacques no more son-ofs.

[ehagar]

Kerb crawling? Learn a new phrase every day!

Hmmmm... Jaguar trying to protect it's precious corporate name...

Wouldn't they do a better service to themselves by dropping their F-1 programme?

Really, aside from the money issue, is it that much different then Eddie Irvine or DC scouting the Bennetton girls.....

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, you should have went to Amsterdam or something.

Must be quite the life, driving quick cars and riding fast women.

[Ross Stonefeld]

maybe they just dont want drivers comitting crimes

[ehagar]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
maybe they just dont want drivers comitting crimes

What about Arrows and Jos Verstappen? Or was Verstappen exhonerated?

Did Gachot (sp?) drive again after the Cabbie assault?

For those Jos the Boss fans, I don't have a clue what that assault garbage was about.

[stevew]

Originally posted by george baird
Pity it wasn't Iravine as I've always thought he hires High Class escort girls for publicity.

You don't "curb crawl" with the High-Class ones...

...uh, so I've heard.

[magic]

thomas is fxcked!

[BlackGhost]

Originally posted by stevew


You don't "curb crawl" with the High-Class ones...

...uh, so I've heard.

[Williams]

I just feel sorry for Jody ... how embarrassing

[Schummy]

It seems Jaguar's management decisions are not the right ones for a major F1 team. I'm sure Toyota will have a better way to do things. (Warning!: subjective opinion ;) )

[arcwulf7]

The context of all this I find kind of disturbing, Okay, Tomas wasn't your guy, he wasn't seasoned enought to talk to engineers, he was reckless, he was too slow. There's not a Team Manager in history that wouldn't say anyone of those alone weren't explanation enough for making a change. It's part of the business. All of the details of this episode are unsavoury -- but what is really relevent to RACING. Rahal sacked Schecter specifically because of this, no other explanation given, and in the most humiliating implications to Tomas possible. With all the kind hypocritical implications you immediately arrive at. That seems to support a feeling I've always had with Rahal at Jaguar from day 1, that he's on some kind of 'moral' mission, to 'REFORM' F1 and recreate it in Cart's image (one of the most abstract, unanchored product concepts in racing history). I'm coming increasingly to the opinion Rahal is just not competent enough to run an F1 team.

[Ross Stonefeld]

read the report, the "jaguar racing board" fired him. Thats more than just Rahal

[ehagar]

Maybe I'm too Liberal, but I see what he did as rather irrelevant. Then again, in North America we get inured to such things...

A player caught trying to get a prostitute before the superbowl, the US President, etc...

Hell, Harold Ballard hired a bunch of ho's for a party in Maple Leaf Gardens...

Anyway, further talk of that stuff belongs in the paddock club.

Sacking him seems so irrelevant though. He's probably red enough in the face.

[arcwulf7]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
the "jaguar racing board" fired him.

name me a F1 supremo in history who was not 'THE BOARD' one and the same. And i still can't get those damn Ralf's Squeeze pictures to load, btw.

[Hooster]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
maybe they just dont want drivers comitting crimes

Grow up.

[Ross Stonefeld]

?


If you're driver shows up in court, thats not good PR for the team

[AT-LAW]

Originally posted by magic
thomas is fxcked!

Do JAG need an unexperienced test driver? Thomas did some little work before PDLR arrival, but nothing at all (maybe a few laps?) since then. I guess the feedback provided by Thomas wasn´t worthwile, so it was not a though decission, although it seems too hard.

I bet they will not be replacing him. Rahal surely prefers the two official drivers to do the donkey work.

[ehagar]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
?


If you're driver shows up in court, thats not good PR for the team

Yeah, like Damon Hill, Ralph Schumacher....

although that was probably TRAFFIC court.

[Zawed]

dirty little man! You have to laugh at the situation, it's just like Hugh Grant!

[nutts]

i remember getting heartily sick all through last season when reading schekter snr's column in "autosport" where week after bloody week he would write a couple of lines commenting on that week's race (usually to slag off whoever else was being slagged off that week), a reminder that he was the last man to win a wdr for ferrari; and then fill the rest of it with thomas' latest exploits in the most blatant display of nepotism you're likely to see. furthermore he got to asking girls to send pics of themselves so he could help thomas find a girlfriend!

i feel sorry for thomas - seems to me like he's been the victim of a pushy parent all along. i don't know how well or badly he might have driven for jaguar - seems like he didn't really get much track time anyway - his dad was complaining about this not so long ago... ...strange that this has coincided with a change of management though, don't you think? is this just an (albeit ridiculous) attempt at raising his media profile? whatever - its a gift horse for jaguar if they didn't rate him...

[404KF2]

What an absolute loser. Paying for sex! I really find it hard to feel sorry for the guy. I have more sympathy for his family members, who have been let down by his stupid behaviour. Yes, it does remind me of Hugh Grant. His ex-girlfriend must have been a doddering moron to stay with him after that episode.

[MattFoster]

Jaguar just keep amazing me, they sack Tomas but the keep Niki Lauda.........................I hope they never get another point, ever!

[prettyface]

Didn' t Jody Scheckter make a fuss about Jaguar not giving Thomas any chances in view of the recent shuffling of drivers?

If so, 'tis simple arithmethic:

"son of Jody" reputed as slow and reckless +
Jody bitching to Jaguar about son +
"son of Jody" embarrasing himself and Jaguar =
__________________________________________
Jaguar getting rid of Thomas Scheckter at the first chance.

Mathematics don' t lie!

[madmac]

Anyone know what the Lauda/Jody relationship is/was like ? Perhaps some old grudges are being brought up behind the scenes ?

[neoplanet]

Does anyone know what model Jag Thomas was driving while kerb crawling?

Hope he didn't slobber on the upholstery too much:lol:

He was just riding Daddys coat tails anyway....Jaguar probably couldn't believe their luck...I really dislike that team even before Thomas got fired:down:

[The RedBaron]

This bad publicity is gonna make it hard for Thomas to secure another "ride";)

[george baird]

Does anyone know if it was a male or female picked up by Tomas?

[arcwulf7]

Let's just assume it was female to keep this from getting any more lurid than it already is ;) . But there a couple of object lessons we can learn from all this. If you punt some obscure journeyman teammate off your underperforming Wolf Racing team, limiting his prized F1 career to a grand total of two unsuccessful races -- it's best to see your son doesn't work for him 2 decades later, to avoid any potential for some lingering payback. AND. If you must go 'kerb crawling' do not do so in your new Jag XKR Convertable loaner, a magnet for police and press, and ESPECIALLY if you happen to work for Jaguar.