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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Albers dumped by Spyker

Formula One minnows Spyker have sacked their Dutch driver Christijan Albers.

The Silverstone-based outfit claimed that due to a non-payment by one of his main sponsors, the Ferrari-powered team were left with no alternative but to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

"This has been a very difficult decision," said team principal Colin Kolles in a statement released on Tuesday.

"Christijan has started to find some form in the car but the team's ambitious development programme has been seriously compromised by non-payment of one of his sponsors and we are faced with no other option."

Spyker's director of Formula One, Michiel Mol, added that the decision to replace Albers was one of the toughest he had had to make since arriving at the team last year.

But insisted the team’s future funding had not been compromised and that the possibility of entering into a new contract with another driver would safeguard the team's financial position.

"We do not expect this will have any adverse effect on Spyker F1's financial result this year," said Mol.

"We would also like to stress this decision has nothing to do with Christijan's recent performances - we still have faith in his contribution as a driver - but the long term future of the team is of paramount importance."

However, as reported in last week’s Inside Paddock, Albers’ days appeared to be numbered after having been outperformed by rookie team-mate Adrian Sutil for most of the season and his mistake in Magny-Cours two weeks ago after driving off with the fuel hose still attached to the car incurred him a five thousand Euro fine.

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