MAY 29, 1995

Simtek in crisis

AS the other F1 teams were packing up to leave Monaco on Sunday night, team boss Nick Wirth was having crisis meetings to decide the future of the team - and if he cannot get the backing of a couple of potential sponsors Wirth is threatening to shut the team down, rather than continuing to mount up debts.

"At the moment I am not able to confirm whether or not we will be travelling to Montreal," said Wirth.

The talks are understood to center around one Dutch backer, who is trying to decide whether to buy his way into the team. If he does, sponsors MTV, Korean Air and Russell Athletic are all intending to increase their involvement in the team, which will mean that Simtek will be able to survive the season with a budget that will enable development work for the promising S951 chassis.

If the Dutch sponsor decides against becoming involved, Simtek will probably have to close its doors.