Are Spyker interested in keeping Johnny Herbert?

By Huw Alban
October 1 2006

Late last week news broke that Johnny Herbert was being dropped from the Spyker MF1 squad. Apparently his contract had expired and was not going to be renewed. Colin Kolles shared a different view on UK TV.

The news was broken by GMM, a world press agency, and to accompany it was a quote from Ian Phillips, Spyker MF1's current Manager of Business Affairs. At the time we were unwilling to carry the quote as it appeared strongly to have been taken out of context.

The story ran that Johnny's contract with the team was due to expire on the Saturday of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, and that Spyker MF1 were not going to renew it.

As part of the UK TV race coverage of the Chinese Grand, ITV's Louise Goodman caught up with team boss Colin Kolles on the grid. Louise and Johnny have always enjoyed a good rapport on the UK TV screens, and it is something that British audiences have become used to seeing.

"Colin, in less than two years you've gone from Jordan, to Midland, to Spyker. Where do you think that the new owners are going to succeed that maybe the previous ones didn't?", Louise asked initially.

"Well I think err, I mean we have to improve definately," Kolles answered. "So I think that this is a step forward. We are associated with a car manufacturer, even so it's not the biggest car manufacturer in the world it's the finest and we'll see the way we'll go but we are very positive that we will have a good future."

"You've gained Ferrari engines for 2007, but you've lost Johnny Herbert?"

"Well Johnny is a very nice person, he's a friend of mine. Unfortunately he had a contract with Midland Resource Holding, so this issue needs to be resolved somehow - this is the issue basically."

A pretty big hint in my book that the Spyker MF1 door is not closed to Johnny.

For me this interview also marks a watershed for Colin himself. As far as I can remember this is only the second or third time that he has been part of an ITV interview, and definately the first time that he looked relaxed and comfortable on camera. Hopefully this is a sign, and a good one, of things to come?

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