Carlin steps down at Jordan
Trevor Carlin has stepped down as sporting director of the troubled Jordan Formula One team, it was announced today.
Carlin took over at Jordan as part of the Midland Group’s winter buy-out of the team but he has endured an unhappy start to life in Formula One.
Jordan have again struggled at the back of the grid, with even Minardi beating them in qualifying recently, and paddock gossip over a potential Midland pull-out has been unsettling.
Jordan today announced Carlin has quit his post as sporting director with immediate effect to concentrate on his Carlin Motorsport Formula Three team. He will be replaced by Adrian Burgess, who is promoted from sporting manager.
Carlin said: “I am very pleased to be involved in the whole Midland F1 project from its conception, and I hand over my role as sporting director at Jordan Grand Prix to Adrian Burgess, knowing he will do a superb job.
“[Team owner] Alex Shnaider and [managing director] Colin Kolles have a very clear vision of where they want to take Midland F1 and the purchase of the Jordan Grand Prix team was the first step.”
Kolles revealed Carlin will still have an influence on the team in an advisory capacity and thanked him for getting Midland’s Formula One dream up and running.
He said: “I want to thank Trevor Carlin for the exceptional work he has done to bring Jordan Grand Prix back on track.
“I fully understand his reasons for stepping down, though his departure does create a void, both within the team and for me personally. We have worked together for several years and I consider him a trusted friend and colleague.
“I am grateful that he was able to nurture a talent like Adrian Burgess, who brings valuable and relevant skills to the team. I have followed Adrian’s career for the last five years and am very proud that we are being given the chance to make use of his impressive experience.
“As I have always maintained, our situation of being in a transition year gives us the unique opportunity to try different options to ensure that next year, when the team will race as Midland F1, we will be able to be competitive from the very beginning.
“With Adrian at the helm of the race and test divisions and Trevor Carlin in the background as our senior advisor, I am confident we can achieve our objectives.”
