What's Jos up to these days?

Skam85 · 9 Dec 2004, 02:34 (Ref:1174925)

I haven't seen or read a Jos Verstappen thread for ages, so I thought I'd start my own. This is no bash, I'm genuinely curious what he's been doing this year and if there is a chance of him driving next year. I'd have to think that it would be Jordan or Minardi, or maybe a 3rd driver role somewhere, perhaps Sauber and wait for 2006 with the 2 new teams for a race drive.

Any JV fans know what he's been doing?

woodbine · 9 Dec 2004, 03:14 (Ref:1174944)

I'm not a JV fan but I believe he's looking for a ChampCar drive

Don K · 9 Dec 2004, 07:25 (Ref:1175021)

As far as I know, his manager is talking to Minardi.
But it looks as if he doesn't have enough money.

He is also looking at other series of motor racing.

Super Tourer · 9 Dec 2004, 08:05 (Ref:1175053)

I've read various stories.

1. He was at the recent Minardi test, so is possibly linked with them again.

2. He was taking a look at the DTM - all the decent drives are taken though.

3. CART was another option.

Does he still have his portfolio of sponsors these days?

Kicking-back · 9 Dec 2004, 08:23 (Ref:1175060)

I suspect if his portfolio of sponsors amounted to anything he'd have had a seat this year.

BootsOntheSide · 9 Dec 2004, 10:23 (Ref:1175128)

He's been looking at ChampCars, there was a thread about it in the ChampCar forum. It must gall him to miss out on the DTM when Albers is doing so well there. I think his days in F1 are gone, and I can't see Dubai or Midland being interested

RWC · 9 Dec 2004, 10:35 (Ref:1175138)

What was he doing this year?
Did he do any drives in other series?

Kicking-back · 9 Dec 2004, 10:40 (Ref:1175140)

No, he's not being driving this year aside from a couple of outings in the two seater Minardi.

Knowlesy · 9 Dec 2004, 17:42 (Ref:1175466)

Hopefully he won't be back in F1, wasting another seat which could go to somebody with talent. He was pitiful when in a top team (Benetton), but yet a few overtaking manouvres on the 1st lap of a race in a car with about two laps worth of fuel and he's suddenly on a par with fangio.

I may be hitting a nerve with some people there, but I think what i'm saying is largely true.

Marbot · 9 Dec 2004, 17:49 (Ref:1175472)

[QUOTE=knowlesy]Hopefully he won't be back in F1, wasting another seat which could go to somebody with talent. He was pitiful when in a top team (Benetton), but yet a few overtaking manouvres on the 1st lap of a race in a car with about two laps worth of fuel and he's suddenly on a par with fangio.

I think everyone else was pitiful at Benetton too except TGF,to be fair he did some quite startling things even in a Simtek!

Knowlesy · 9 Dec 2004, 17:51 (Ref:1175473)

He did do some good races in the wet for Arrows. Brazil 1996 (from my vague memory) was pretty good stuff.

ralf fan · 9 Dec 2004, 18:16 (Ref:1175500)

Jos is as good as Michael Schumacher because he beat MS in formula whatever in 1732...

Marbot · 9 Dec 2004, 19:45 (Ref:1175553)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralf fan

Jos is as good as Michael Schumacher because he beat MS in formula whatever in 1732...

And also on his scalextric when he was 4.

minirda · 9 Dec 2004, 20:29 (Ref:1175582)

Trust will not sponsor Albers in F1 until 2006 because of their exclusive contract with Verstappen. This is officially confirmed by Trust. Trust has stated to stop sponsor autosport in 2005. However, according to insiders Huub Rothengarter is still on speaking terms with Perridon, the COD of Trust. Jos still aims at F1. The only options are Minardi and Jordan. Jos still has the financial support of Muermans Group and Burgfonds amongst other small sponsors. Both companies also support Doornbos more or less, but they prefer Jos in an F1 seat, while Doornbos becomes a testing role. Seems IF Trust is also willing to support Jos in 2005, Jos will drive for Jordan Toyota.
Bottleneck is the willingness of both Muermans and Trust. Jos Verstappen is considered to be the most talented and experienced Dutch driver, but he won't drive for free and therefor Doornbos is a lot cheaper.

PS No surprise I don't agree with Knowlesy. Not at all. Jos did some wonderful stuff in the F1. But, to be honest as a fan, i am a bit biased perhaps.
I don't see Jos in other series in 2005. DTM won't be a succes. There were rumours last year about the Champ cars. Jos was linked with Forsythe Racing, but i don't think Sophie is willing to move to USA. Jos career will end when he will not be aible to re-enter in F1, i'm afraid.

Knowlesy · 9 Dec 2004, 21:17 (Ref:1175622)

I'd like to see him in CART, so it's a shame he won't be able to move to America.

He'll have to work on Sophie!

Tweed · 9 Dec 2004, 21:26 (Ref:1175645)

He might have had more of a lasting F1 career if he hadn't been thrown into the limelight so soon in 1994. He shouldn't come back now though.

Kempi · 9 Dec 2004, 21:53 (Ref:1175674)

Never understood what people found in him anyways. Presumably he has one of the biggest fanbase yet no remarkable anything in F1.

Just about any other driver had a good race at one point or another, so "a few good races in the wet" which cant even be precisely stated ain't gonna cut it imho.

Tweed · 9 Dec 2004, 21:58 (Ref:1175681)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kempi

"a few good races in the wet"

That could easily be Jos' whole F1 biography!

minirda · 9 Dec 2004, 22:59 (Ref:1175738)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweed

He might have had more of a lasting F1 career if he hadn't been thrown into the limelight so soon in 1994. He shouldn't come back now though.

He has been in f1 for 10 years!! Besides his f1 career isn't officially over. I won't be surprised if we see him at Jordan in 2005. And he was offered a Minardi seat this year, but he refused.

Seems more lasting to me than (for example) great talents like Magnusson and Salo have.

PS He did far better than "a few good races in the wet", but perhaps you need to be a fan to remember.

Dutch chap · 9 Dec 2004, 23:33 (Ref:1175760)

I’ve seen him in Opel (=Vauxhal) Lotus. Just awesome!. Absolutely brilliant. Of course I am, being Dutch, a bit biased, but believe me, never before and never afterwards I’ve seen a guy racing with so much raw talent. I hardly dare to mention this on a public forum, but what Jos showed in F Lotus was on an equal level to what I had seen Ayrton doing in a FF2000.

I’ve seen him again in F3. Absolutely brilliant.

Then there was suddenly, to sudden, to soon, this opportunity to actually race in F1 in stead of learning the trade in the role of test driver (when JJ Lehto broke his neck). Just name me driver who would not have accepted the job! Although I don’t know anybody else who gained a 3th place in a GP in only his 56th car race ever, we still have to accept that it all came to soon. After that it all went downwards. Vague opportunities, wrong choices.

Jos may be able to get a Minardi seat next season, or even having a go in a Jordan, but we, and he, have to accept the fact that he’ll never get a proper drive in F1 again. Shame, because, with the right guidance Jos could have been in a very different situation.

We are looking back at the past seasons and realise we got a bit bored with TGF winning all the races. The guy that had the ability to do something about that (or his management) ruined his chances.

Rich R · 9 Dec 2004, 23:36 (Ref:1175764)

i think he should give up on f1 and go enjoy himself in sportscars or touring cars even if his sponsors won't follow him. i can't understand any racing driver who would more rather be on the verges of f1 than racing something else.

mountainstar · 9 Dec 2004, 23:51 (Ref:1175774)

Jos has had a lot of chances so it's probably time to move along now and try something different.

RWC · 10 Dec 2004, 05:05 (Ref:1175849)

[QUOTE=knowlesy]Hopefully he won't be back in F1, wasting another seat which could go to somebody with talent. He was pitiful when in a top team (Benetton), but yet a few overtaking manouvres on the 1st lap of a race in a car with about two laps worth of fuel and he's suddenly on a par with fangio. :rolleyes [QUOTE]

i have never worked him out.
Obviously he's not a genious but then one sees him doing incredible things at times-
obviously some of those were when he had a temporarily superior car as you mention
and then other times when he just seems to be superfast

A very strange guy

Kempi · 10 Dec 2004, 08:01 (Ref:1175903)

Quote:

The guy that had the ability to do something about that (or his management) ruined his chances.

Showing brillance in a lower Formula does not mean the driver will be a standout in F1. We have seen a lot of folks coming up and not cutting it. We also have seen some F3 drivers coming up and actually doing something, TGF the most prominent. Raikkönen came up after what? 17 races? and he showed brillance right away, btw, Raikkönen won a GP after only about 50 car races, so that 3rd place after 56 races is not really impressive either.

Raglanparade · 10 Dec 2004, 11:09 (Ref:1176027)

I think the sun has set on Jos's career.

He has had more chances in F1 for little results then half of the pay drivers.

I honestly think that Minardi or Jordan are better off with a younger more talented driver then Jos the bos.

Whats wrong with Jos racing at LeMans or something ?

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