Blimey Scheckter!

[Sauber_16]

Jeez...who's heard the news with Tomas Scheckter?!

"Kerb Crawling" (ahem) has been announced as the cause for his dismissal as Jaguar Test Driver.

Sorry McLaren-15...if it's any consolation, I much prefer Darren Manning and Kimi Raikkonen in your choice of favourites!

Sauber_16

[SH0077]

All I can see at Jaguar is Niki the Rat going through the closet and getting rid of anything that might even have a smell of Stewart to it. I expect to see Rahal gone in the not to distant future followed by Irvine at the end of the year. A German running a American Owned (FORD)company that is trying to get fans interested with British History (JAGUAR). No light at the end of the tunnel for this Cat quickly running out of Lives. Give it a couple of years and the team will be simply known as Ford!

[Gerard]

Kerb Crawling?
Is that what it's called nowadays?
Where does that leave Eddie Irvine?

[Liz]

Patrick Head would call it "Bobbing about in boats in Monaco."

[SH0077]

I'm not sure how many times the son of the former 'Last driver to win WDC for Ferrari' actually tested for the team. 'Kerb Crawling', why dont people have the guts just to say 'He's too slow' and we dont need him at Jauar anymore. How did he get the testing role anyway? Anyone out there have any Information on his carreer up to now?

[Victor Broccoli]

Actually, Tomas being a bit too slow has nothing to do w/ his dismissal. I went to www.atlasf1.com, and their article on this cited Tomas' being cited in court on prostitution charges.

[Dino IV]

Scheckter, 20, was forced to appear in a Northampton court on April 25 after being charged with soliciting a prostitute. According to the reports, as a result of the court appearance Scheckter has been relieved of his duties at the Milton Keynes-based team.

In a report in The Times newspaper today, a Jaguar statement read: "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."

So that's what 'Kerb crawling' is supposed to mean. And I couldn't stop thinking about the stones at the corneredges ...

[SH0077]

I'd say that this boys Formula 1 career is over before it has even started. Just imagine your dream to become a F1 driver is gone because you simply couldn't pull a root and you delved low enough to go pay for one!!! I hope the sex was good Tomas, compared to driving a F1 car, I dont know?

Anyone, who thinks Sex would equal driving a F1 car?

[Dino IV]

No, I wouldn't.
Some guys love their cars more than their grilfriends ... uha, this society must equal utter insanity at times.

Jaguar is a lot harsher than Liz Hurley obviously trying to be as politically correct as possible. Where are they worrying about? Sponsor money? It's 90% Ford and affiliate companies (like Visteon). Young men should be forgiven there misconduct at times I think.

[Airhead]

Thomas was just practicing for his race debut. If your going to go curb crawling the Jag F1 car is the pick of the field. Look at the way Eddie masterfully pulled over to the curb in Spain. And right in front of the team!

[Valve Bounce]

Originally posted by Dino IV


So that's what 'Kerb crawling' is supposed to mean. And I couldn't stop thinking about the stones at the corneredges ...

I thought it literally meant he was crawling around the kerbs when testing, instead of kerb jumping.

Quite honestly, I didn't know this was an offence in England?? I mean, one cannot walk around London's West End in the evenings and not get accosted a zillion times. There is something fishy about this charge. Even when I went to the theatre with my family, I used to have to fend them off!! This is indeed quite unfortunate for Tomas, because if this was in Paris, nobody would have cared. To have his career ruined by such a silly misdemeanor is unbelievable.

[Gerard]

Now that we all know what 'Kerb Crawling' is I'll re-post what I asked before.

Where does that leave Eddie Irvine?

[Liz]

With all the Pit Bimbos in F1, couldn't he get a girl around home?

Oh well, it's not the first time a boy has destroyed his life for a roll in the hay. In fact, the same thing is routine among presidents of universities and in one case in Georgia, a Catholic Archbishop (whose popsy went on Oprah). So although he is no longer in the good company of F1, he is certainly in good company otherwise.

Can't wait to read what the old man has to say about that though. No one has ever accused Jody of being a diplomat.

[Carla O]

Originally posted by Liz
With all the Pit Bimbos in F1, couldn't he get a girl around home?

maybe Sauber´_16 would have volunteered! LOL

[bella]

mr scheckter is currently the butt (ahem) of all family jokes round my house. the only bad thing he did was get caught....

it was autosport.com's description that had me creased up on the floor. i believe it was from the northampton local paper, and completely took the biscuit for unintentional humour...

now perhaps jody will recognise toby is still a talented driver (and much cuter too), and deserves an equal amount of support for his chosen career. if my dad dumped me like that i'd be well aggrieved.

[Victor Broccoli]

Wow! My American vernacular learned a new term. I think I got misled when SH said he was too slow (the idea of prostitution meaning kerb crawling did not occur to me).

According to the Lauda theory, Eddie Irvine should have been sacked from Jaguar in 1996 :P.

Although, judging by Jag's reliability, I'm sure that the car expired long before he did.

[RIKB]

The article I read on this incident described him as doing a Hugh Grant!

I too would like to be a fly on the wall when Jody gets hold of him!!!

Perhaps Thomas should try to become the second paying passenger into space

[Liz]

"In a state of partial undress" was the prim little phrase I saw. That would tend to confirm the Hugh Grant thing ...

I do not think young Mr. Scheckter will have to pay to go into space. His father's boot will provide escape velocity, I have no doubt. He may be the first human being to set foot on Saturn.

[RIKB]

Quite so! Jody was never known for his sensitive, understanding approach...

[TimD]

At the risk of taking this topic away from its original theme, I must address something that Valve Bounce mentioned.

Er, London's West End. I don't know which part of the West End you were visiting, Valve old chum, but your experience seems unrepresentative of the London I visit on a regular basis. Touting for those sorts of activities is most definitely illegal in Britain, and while there are red-light areas as with all major cities around the globe, I would suggest that if you stroll central London's streets of an evening you will likely be accosted by a million unlicenced cab drivers, but not by a lady of the night.

[EERO]

Given the current state of the Tabloid Mentality throughout the entertainment world, and the fact that Mr. Grant seems not to have suffered from his encounter with Miss Brown, I'm really surprised by the Prudishness of the F1 world. Okay, so its illegal and hugely embarrassing...SO WHAT!

Is the parading of scantily clad women around the Pit Lane any less degrading? (As much as I enjoy it, I'm wracked with guilt as both a Male and a Liberal) Formula 1 seems to be a little hypocritical here. Is it any less Prostitution to dress a bimbo in Vinyl Hot Pants with the sponsor's logo on the seat?

This arrest has nothing to do with Scheckter's ability behind the wheel. Can him for being slow or giving lousey feedback, not for solicitation.

[Super Tourer]

Phew, I bet Jag are delighted, as it gave them a cast iron excuse to get rid of him.

As a previous poster mentioned there is a cull inside the JAG team of any body perceived to be from the old regime. In anycase Schekter was moaning that he didn't get enough miles, but was always way off the pace anyway.

Enter Courtney/Lotterer stage right. Whilst we are on the subject, one of JAG's main problems seems to be inherited legacy's from Stewart and Nasser. I reckon Nasser got giddy and hired Irvine on a mega contract, whilst under the influence of the opinion that he was world championship material, instead of the fact that he was a professional No2 who got lucky. Apparantly Swervin is Ford's highest paid employee - worldwide.....

[Bononi]

Jaguar fired Scheckter because he missed the training sessions in Spain, or because he was involved in an outlaw situation ??

I mean what is the official excuse ???

[Wrex]

EERO, I agree. Hypocritical is the word here I have no doubt. Comparing him to Eddie Irvine, the only difference would be the way the money is handed over (directly or through secretive paternity suites).

As for Eddie being the highest paid man at Ford, You have got to be kidding. Call the Lawyers, you have got to get them out of that contract. Cut Eddie loose if you want improvement.

[Marshal]

I think Super Tourer hit the nail on the head here, its nothing to do with F1 being prudish, its all about Jaguar management having a great way to terminate Schekters contract without it costing them a penny. They must be laughing all the way to the bank.