DECEMBER 21, 2002

Lauda and Ford part company

It is no surprise that Niki Lauda and Ford will not be working together in the future. The former Jaguar Racing boss had been offered a consultancy role with Jaguar but it was never very likely that he would help out those who had replaced him.

It is no surprise that Niki Lauda and Ford will not be working together in the future. The former Jaguar Racing boss had been offered a consultancy role with Jaguar but it was never very likely that he would help out those who had replaced him.

"I couldn't see any reason why I should stay. There was nothing left for me to do," Lauda told Austrian TV. Lauda added that the deal - which involves considerable compensation - means that he cannot help any other f1 teams in the short term, although there is no indication that there is any demand for his services. Lauda will probably go back to being a commentator with the RTL television company which holds the free-to-air TV rights for F1 in Germany.