Verstapin/Minardi

[rodders47 2]

Paul Stoddart said that Verstapin could do a lot worse then signing up with Minardi for 2004 !!

I ask you HOW MUCH WORSE COULD IT BE !!!!!!!!

Like there is no other LOWER team in F1 so maybe P.S. is refering to F3 or Cart or Go Karts ????

[pumpdoc 2]

IRL CART

[nichosnz 0]

Stoddy, forever the optimist.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Verstappen could screw himself over by going to the IRL or NASCAR. It would be worse than Minardi, and Minardi isn't too bad of a choice. But I think it will be Kovalainen alongside Bruni next year, as Bruni has just been confirmed as one of the drivers..

[frederick 0]

the way Verstappen bitched about Stoddart and Minardi after last season I dont see why he (or any other principal) would even want him in the team. :?

[Thor 0]

Verstappen sign a contract at Jordan with help of Trust computer

[juany 0]

hey all

I have been a long time reader, but have only just joined. Seems to have gone real quite here over xmas??

Anyway, I have never reated Verstappen, how long has he been around and the fact that he still has to pay to get a seat proves that other team bosses dont think much of him either?

Anyone have a better opinion of him?

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Verstappen is one of those drivers that showed REAL and TRUE promise back in his first season(s), but then all the chances just went by him. I think he should have a drive higher up the grid, and hope he gets the Jordan contract. After all, the biggest fan club in F1 can't be wrong, can it?

The Jordan line-up is the real interest right now - with four drivers on the short list, at least in my opinion. Heidfeld, Firman, Mcnish, and Verstappen are the potentials, and I think the most likely combination is Mcnish/Verstappen. Why, you ask?

Firman didn't do enough last year to prove himself. It's as simple as that - and unless he finds sponsor money that really speaks then he doesn't have a huge shot. That said, B&H would like a British driver in the team, but that's where Mcnish comes in. Mcnish did a fantastic job with Renault last year, was consistently fast and a real asset in the development of the R23. Verstappen, then, has a lot of sponsor-backing from ie. Trust and that is what Jordan needs. Alongside that, Verstappen is not a bad choice as a driver either. Look at his performances in the past - 2001 is full of them and he kept pushing through 2003 with the awful Minardi!

Heidfeld? Now that Jordan has a good relationship with Ford (they're getting the same engines as Jaguar next year) the links with Mercedes have dwindled, though undoubtedly there's always some door open. A good deal with Mercedes would undoubtedly have been helped by the signing of a German driver. But Heidfeld, despite being good in testing, is probably not the best short-term investment for Jordan. Long-term, yes, but Jordan can't look too far ahead in these times.

And sadly money talks for the smaller teams in F1 right now. If things were like they were at the end of the 90's, with not such dire financial situations for some teams, we'd have Alex Wurz in the Jaguar and probably Pedro de la Rosa would have a seat with one of the teams somewhere - Arrows for example, were they still here. Luciano Burti would still have a Prost under him etc.

Almost turned into a full-fledged Wrap there, that will have to wait until next year (as in a fortnight from now )

BTW. yes, it gets a bit quiet over the holidays, but it's like that everywhere

[nichosnz 0]

Cybil Shepard has a brilliant quote for her career that I think works well for Verstappen (whether that is to do with circumstance or talent is debatable):

"I started at the top and have been working my way down ever since!"

[Sato 0]

Jens...I think Firman did enough to keep a seat for 2004. he did out do fisi several times. and i'd pick mcnish as the other to have a seat....although i've always liked jos the boss i think he is dead in F1 terms..

[juany 0]

"I started at the top and have been working my way down ever since!"

heh, classic quote. And yes, suits the 'Boss' nicely.

And Jordan_Rule, I have thought Jos has been dead in F1 many times before, but he is like Freddy Krueger and keeps coming back! :shock:

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Jos is one of those guys... he won't be gone until age tells him he's gone!

Firman did actually show Fisichella a damned good deal of opposition considering it was his rookie year, but I don't think that in the circumstances he should be retained by Jordan. Jordan needs guys like McNish and Verstappen who are very experienced to develop the car and help them regain the prowess of years past. They bring sponsor money with them as well, so it's quite a big plus for those two. Heidfeld and Firman don't possess what Jordan needs right now, and that is experience.

Eddie should keep Firman inder his wing though, most definitely. I'm still not too sure about Nick, for some reason. Probably should keep him in mind as well though, considering how he fared against Kimi in 2001. But then considering how he fared against Frentzen in 2003...