Mark Smith leaves Jordan

Super Tourer · 29 Jan 2005, 18:36 (Ref:1212728)

According to Autosport, highly rated designer Mark Smith has left Jordan.

Jordan technical director Mark Smith is reported to have left the team just days after it was taken over by Alex Shnaider's Midland Group. The highly rated designer had only officially returned to Jordan from Renault two months ago, but resigned from his position on Friday morning.

Sources close to the team told autosport.com that Smith left a phone message with Jordan's new management yesterday announcing his decision not to remain with the team into the Midland era.

Toyota looks like a possible next stop for Smith, who previously worked with Mike Gascoyne at Renault, in fact it was alleged in some areas of the press that Jordan was only ever a 'splash and dash' for Smith en route to Toyota.

Mike Gascoyne allegedly had to sign an agreement not to poach staff directly from Renault when he joined Toyota, presumably Mark Smith is now free to move from Jordan to Toyota without breaking that agreement.

StickShift · 29 Jan 2005, 18:45 (Ref:1212730)

Mark Smith was likely made redundant. Midland have confirmed on several occasions since the buyout that their 2006 car is being designed by Dallara in Italy.

bosch! · 29 Jan 2005, 19:00 (Ref:1212737)

Looks like Midland only want to avoid paying the $45m entry fee, not save Jordan. The worst posible deal tha EJ could have made, why sell now anyway? Bernie has his hand in his pocket sweetening the deal to teams from 2008.

Wonder what Toyota think about all of this. Sad end for Jordan, gutted like a fish.

hakim · 29 Jan 2005, 19:14 (Ref:1212742)

the whole midland deal and russia wanting to come into F1 is a bit of a joke, they think to emulate the guy who brought chelsea..

he is in for a shock, f1 is not like kicking a rubber ball around a grass pitch..

imo jordan and red bull will be the laughing stock of f1 if these two guys do thing wrong..

StickShift · 29 Jan 2005, 19:20 (Ref:1212747)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosch!

Looks like Midland only want to avoid paying the $45m entry fee, not save Jordan.

Well, that's pretty much what everyone expected. Midland already had their own team setup with Dallara, Carlin, and Kolles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosch!

The worst posible deal tha EJ could have made, why sell now anyway? Bernie has his hand in his pocket sweetening the deal to teams from 2008.

If Eddie didn't sell Jordan now, the team would've gone tits up before the 2005 season would have started -- let alone survive until 2008.

Eddie Jordan was smart to sell the team and keep its legacy, rather than lose the team and lose its legacy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosch!

Wonder what Toyota think about all of this. Sad end for Jordan, gutted like a fish.

Toyota will be happy that they will get a talented designer out of this, and that their engine deal with Midland-Jordan is only a one year deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosch!

Sad end for Jordan, gutted like a fish.

Jordan GP already was a rotten fish. It would've been a horrible mistake if Midland tried to continue where Jordan left off.

It would seem Jordan-Midland only exists in the 2005 championship for financial reasons. 2006 is when Midland GP will really begin.

James North · 29 Jan 2005, 19:29 (Ref:1212749)

I think Midland will be taking over the the Jordan factory site as well though.

Yes I know that Dallara are designing the car, but it now likely to be put to gether at the Silverstone factory.

Remember Jordan outsource much of it's manufacturing anyway. Midland now has a base to work out off, instead of having to build it's own factory.

Not just the entry.

Knowlesy · 29 Jan 2005, 20:40 (Ref:1212774)

Mark Smith only recently joined Jordan didn't he?

I guess this was always coming with the Dallara connections, though.

BootsOntheSide · 29 Jan 2005, 21:41 (Ref:1212821)

The $48m isn't an 'entry fee', it's a bond, which is returend gradually with interest, so long as a team continues to run, and it's not likely to be an issue to a multi-millionaire like Schnaider. The notion of Smith quicly joining Toyota, as another example of the company's behaviour, seems the most likely.

maximus · 29 Jan 2005, 22:52 (Ref:1212847)

Quote:

Originally Posted by hakim

the whole midland deal and russia wanting to come into F1 is a bit of a joke, they think to emulate the guy who brought chelsea..

he is in for a shock, f1 is not like kicking a rubber ball around a grass pitch..

imo jordan and red bull will be the laughing stock of f1 if these two guys do thing wrong..

I doubt that he is approaching this in the same manner.

**GTRMagic** · 30 Jan 2005, 00:02 (Ref:1212883)

I sit here in hope that Mr Smith ends up at Minardi.... I know I know, I'm dreaming...

Mr V · 30 Jan 2005, 05:54 (Ref:1212966)

Quote:

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Mark Smith only recently joined Jordan didn't he?

Yep, but thats irrelevant, he didn't break any agreement if he now joins Toyota, he didn't leave Renault for them, he jeft Jordan (Midland) for them

Knowlesy · 30 Jan 2005, 10:05 (Ref:1213049)

Oh no, I wasn't objecting to him moving to another team.

More that it was just a very short tenure for him at Jordan!

bradrive · 30 Jan 2005, 14:53 (Ref:1213161)

Quote:

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Oh no, I wasn't objecting to him moving to another team.

More that it was just a very short tenure for him at Jordan!

Smith's Renault-Jordan-Toyota move was setup months ago... and has nothing to do with the recent Jordan developments.

Knowlesy · 30 Jan 2005, 15:07 (Ref:1213165)

Really? I'd forgotten that.....

It makes a lot of sense I guess.

**Adam43** · 30 Jan 2005, 18:26 (Ref:1213267)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradrive

Smith's Renault-Jordan-Toyota move was setup months ago... and has nothing to do with the recent Jordan developments.

I suspect that the management change probably speeded things up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StickShift

Mark Smith was likely made redundant. Midland have confirmed on several occasions since the buyout that their 2006 car is being designed by Dallara in Italy.

I don't think he was made redundant for the reason above. He has chaosen to leave rather than told to. However maybe there wouldn't have been a place for him soon due to the changes at Jordan. However it seems the plan has always been to get to Toyota.

BSchneiderFan · 31 Jan 2005, 21:21 (Ref:1214095)

Can someone clarify where Carlin and Kolles fit into the Jordan/Midland set-up?

Testure · 31 Jan 2005, 21:38 (Ref:1214108)

I don't thnk anything is 100% confirmed, but I've read that Carlin is to be the sporting director and Kolles the managing director of the new organisation.

Given that Dallara are apparently building the next chassis, I don't think I'd want to be working in Jordan's technical department at the moment. Sounds like Mark Smith resigned from a job that no longer really exists

I guess Midland are just going to use Jordan to actually run the cars? Perhps the mechanics, etc. will be safe...

BSchneiderFan · 31 Jan 2005, 23:13 (Ref:1214180)

Peculiar to draft TWO F3 team bosses (Carlin and Kolles) into an F1 team. Still, I'm sure Alex Schnaider knows what he's doing.

Skam85 · 31 Jan 2005, 23:17 (Ref:1214184)

It remains to be seen. I think when the chassis for 2006 is done, and somehow they can get Toyota or possible Mercedes engines, I think Midland can become something, money doesn't necessarily buy speed, but I'm sure that Dallara know what they are doing and if they can build a tidy chassis to match a competitve engine, it will be VERY good.

All contingent on the drivers though!

BSchneiderFan · 31 Jan 2005, 23:31 (Ref:1214200)

Dallara also built the test mule that Honda were using a while back when they were contemplating a factory team, as I recall. It was reportedly pretty quick in the hands of Jos Verstappen, a solid but not top-rank driver, so Dallara can do the job.

Skam85 · 31 Jan 2005, 23:36 (Ref:1214205)

If Verstappen can make a car go fast, then it's a damn good car!

1 Feb 2005, 09:37 (Ref:1214404)

Actually the Dallara F1 T-car for Honda was so bad they canned the whole project and honda decided to learn through BAR instead. But yeah of course Midland Know what they are doing they`ve got the Well educated and experienced F3 bosses ha ha how funny. I think the ideas behind the project are sensible (Schnaider) but the people being trusted to put it into practice humm not sure.

**GTRMagic** · 1 Feb 2005, 09:51 (Ref:1214417)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

Dallara also built the test mule that Honda were using a while back when they were contemplating a factory team, as I recall. It was reportedly pretty quick in the hands of Jos Verstappen, a solid but not top-rank driver, so Dallara can do the job.

Werent Dallara in F1 a previous time.... ?

EDIT: Answered my own question... It entered Formula One with the Ford-powered Scuderia Italia team in 1988 and stayed until 1992.

And you think a Dallara chassis will be better than a Jordan??????????

with thanks to .... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/3724208.stm

ASCII Man · 1 Feb 2005, 11:15 (Ref:1214501)

Those Scuderia Italia cars weren't that bad, pretty much able to score points here and there...

BSchneiderFan · 1 Feb 2005, 11:16 (Ref:1214505)

My impression was that Honda's abandoning of a factory team was mcuh more to do with money and the death of Harvey Postlethwaite than shortcomings in the Dallara mule.

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