FEBRUARY 24, 1997

F1's soccer stars?

FORMER McLaren designer and March founder Robin Herd quit motor racing in 1995 and decided to try his hand in the world of English football, as chairman of the Oxford United soccer club. In recent months it has become clear that the team is struggling financially and some of its top players have been sold off to rival organizations.

Last week there were suggestions that Herd was trying to establish a player exchange program with Italy's Juventus - owned by the Agnelli Family, which controls Ferrari, but we hear that there is slightly more to it than that with several F1 personalities involved in an effort to save the team - which is now regarded as F1's football team because most of the top Grand Prix teams are based in and around the Oxford area.

We hear that Juventus is involved but that Benetton's Flavio Briatore and Eddie Jordan (a big Oxford United fan) are discussing taking over the club to expand their business empires.