Just two weeks after the team was sold to a Swiss/Middle East consortium the first round of culling is underway at Leafield.

Speaking to Reuters in the wake Tony Fernandes sale of the team, the man charged with running the Leafield-based outfit, Colin Kolles, admitted that jobs would have to be lost if the team was to survive.

"There will be changes, more things to be done," he said. "I prefer to have 200 safe jobs than 300 lost jobs.

"Sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions," he added. "But believe me, I think certain people know and understand that changes have to be done and that it cannot continue like this. It's impossible."

It has now been revealed that the first cull is underway with 40 employees believed to have been paid off. Whilst most are understood to be department managers, consequently the people on the biggest salaries, a number of junior employees have also been dropped.

The most high profile departures are those of deputy technical head Jody Eggington and head of track operations Gerry Hughes.

Earlier today, reserve driver Alexander Rossi admitted that he had severed ties with the team while there are now fears as to whether Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson will see out the season or whether the team might opt for drivers with a bigger bank rolls.

As ever, even under new management, the team is saying nothing, though team 'boss' Christijan Albers will no doubt be put under pressure at the Team Principals press conference on Friday.

Chris Balfe