Jos Verstappen came remarkably close to joining Ferrari in 2002, with Michael Schumacher personally sounding out his former Benetton team-mate about becoming a test driver for the Maranello team. The Dutchman ultimately turned down the opportunity because he was under contract with Arrows, only to unexpectedly lose that seat a few weeks later.
It was a remarkable twist in a Formula 1 career that had begun with considerable expectations. Long before his son Max Verstappen became one of the sport’s leading figures, Jos Verstappen had been regarded as one of the most promising young drivers of his generation.
Jos Verstappen arrived in Formula 1 as a major young talent
During the first half of the 1990s, Jos Verstappen was considered a rising star in motorsport after winning both Formula Opel and the German Formula 3 championship. At just 21 years old, he attracted interest from McLaren and Benetton, two of Formula 1’s leading teams at the time, with both offering him a test-driver role.
Jos Verstappen was eventually persuaded by Flavio Briatore and chose Benetton. The agreement included a written commitment that he would contest at least six Grands Prix for the Treviso-based team by the end of 1995.
An injury suffered by JJ Lehto during winter testing opened the door much earlier than expected. Jos Verstappen found himself racing for Benetton in the opening two rounds of the 1994 season and then returned for another eight appearances later in the year.
His season alongside Michael Schumacher was anything but straightforward. Jos Verstappen endured crashes and spins but also collected two podium finishes and scored 10 points in total. Briatore eventually opted for the more experienced Johnny Herbert, and Verstappen’s Formula 1 career subsequently began a gradual decline as he moved between Simtek, Footwork, Tyrrell, Stewart and Arrows.
Jos Verstappen rejected a Ferrari test role in 2002
The decisive moment came in February 2002, when Arrows unexpectedly dropped Jos Verstappen and chose Heinz-Harald Frentzen instead. The Dutch driver made no attempt to hide his disappointment at the way he discovered the decision.
“I am deeply disappointed. Yesterday morning Huub Rothengatter saw on the Arrows website that they had chosen Frentzen. He immediately called me and Raymond Vermeulen; we didn’t know what to say. Walkinshaw then phoned us an hour and a half later: ten seconds to tell me he had made a different choice. Half an hour later I received the fax informing me that the contract had been terminated with immediate effect,” Jos Verstappen explained.
His anger was made even greater by what had happened only a few weeks earlier. Jos Verstappen had rejected an offer to join Ferrari as a test driver, a potentially significant opportunity during one of the most successful periods in the Italian team’s Formula 1 history.
The approach had come through someone Jos Verstappen knew extremely well: Michael Schumacher. The two had remained close after racing together at Benetton in 1994, and their friendship extended beyond the paddock. Their relationship during that period is also captured in a 2002 interview featuring Michael Schumacher and Jos Verstappen.
“Who wouldn’t want to drive for Ferrari? I am a good friend of Michael, we go on holiday together and often travel to the Grands Prix. We spoke informally about the new season and Michael asked me about my possible availability,” Jos Verstappen recalled.
Arrows contract cost Jos Verstappen his Ferrari opportunity
At the time of Michael Schumacher’s approach, however, Jos Verstappen was still committed to Arrows after signing a contract extension in the middle of 2001. That existing agreement convinced the Dutchman to decline Ferrari’s proposal and remain loyal to Arrows.
The decision quickly backfired when Arrows released him, leaving Jos Verstappen without a Formula 1 race seat shortly after he had passed up the chance to work with Ferrari. Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher and the Maranello team went on to dominate the 2002 campaign, with the German sealing the championship extraordinarily early at the 2002 French Grand Prix.
Jos Verstappen subsequently tried, unsuccessfully, to secure a test role with Sauber. He eventually returned to the Formula 1 grid for one final season with Minardi in 2003 before leaving the championship for good, having scored 17 points across 106 Grands Prix.
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