"Jos is at the top of our list" So says the Boss

[SurfaceUnits]

Paul Stoddart Q&A
27 December 2006
http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=137434

Former Minardi F1 boss Paul Stoddart speaks to F1Racing.net about his recent acquisition of the CTE Racing - HVM Champ Car team and Formula One...

Is Jos Verstappen your first choice?

Oh yeah, Jos is at the top of our list. Obviously a driver of Jos' pedigree and talent makes him that. There are sponsorship issues and we've got to get to terms with all of that. That's what we're working on now and I'm hoping to announce one if not both the drivers before 15 January.

[nrc]

That link brings up a login page. Here's the source article...

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=137434

[Spicoli]

This will be bad for "CART", but good for the EARL.


Just you watch. :laugh:

[NismoZ]

Fully funded 2 cars, banking on CTE for the 3rd. Hmmmm...sounds like a 2 car team then? One Dutch driver then Clarke OR Philippe?

[Don Quixote]

Is Jos a fighter?

[jonovision_man]

Is Jos a fighter?

Is the pope Catholic? :)

jono

[SurfaceUnits]

Fully funded 2 cars, banking on CTE for the 3rd. Hmmmm...sounds like a 2 car team then? One Dutch driver then Clarke OR Philippe?Stoddart's statements sounded like he is trying to get two flying Dutchmen for '07 + a ridebuyer for the CTE car.

[Accipiter]

Is Jos a fighter?


Is "Fighter" Dutch for "Crasher?"

[NismoZ]

SU...that's what it sounded like to me also...which matches what he said weeks ago. At the time though I think he had Doornbos in mind but I think he's out of the mix. So, who's the next best Dutch driver out there?

[SurfaceUnits]

Zwolsman is the only one known on this side of the pond. Did they have an A1GP team?

[Andrew Longman]

More important in this is having the Minardi name in the series, and another European driver nearly sealed, this will make it easier to sell the series to European promoters. The schedule can soon be finalized (finally).

[NismoZ]

Jos was their A1 guy but left (to come to CC?) and was replaced by Jeroen Bleekemolen and Renger Van De Zande. The team is currently 13th in points after 5 rounds with Bleekemolen's 4th at Zandvoort their best result. I hear Zwolsman has a sponsorship/promotional problem at home as his father is a well known convicted drug dealer. Jos seems the best shot with both sponsor support and fan popularity. "Negotiations" seem to be moving slowly, however, which to me signals The Boss looking for more than he's worth. (?)

[trauma1]

is Trust still funding him or did they part thier seperate ways

[NismoZ]

Trust is it as I understand it and Jos had some sort of exclusive agreement from way back in '02 (when Arrows dumped him) that if anyone ELSE got Trust sponsorship, he'd get a cut! First dibs, I guess. A court awarded him $200,000 (20% of the 1 mil. they gave Jordan, a 1-time contract exemption) in '05 when Minardi had Trust sponsor Albers. The judge said "stop that immediately!" also. Trust defense said he'd backed out of a test for Minardi but the Jos lawyers said "he didn't fit in the car!" Jos won!:D He tested with HVM in '05 so I guess he'd fit in an '07 DP01. Couldn't say how much of that Trust (Dutch Computers) money is still available. I've read 5-10 million $, but don't know if that was at the start of the contract or what is left now. I think he wants a lot more from Stoddart than is being offered or he wants to use the Trust money to get in at Forsythe. Better team. (maybe not as good as his legal team though!) That rumor is still out there. Sounds like Jan. 15th is the deadline.

[trauma1]

thanks for the update NismoZ

[Accipiter]

I read an artcile that said he got $1m to drive for the A1 team last year, and that the reason things fell apart this year was because the team wouldn't guarantee his payments (apparantly some checks arrived late last season).

[trauma1]

but Stoddart hiring him mas a driver doesn't make much sense since he trashed minardi and Jos's manager pissed Paul off big time.:shakehead

[NismoZ]

I know...money is thicker than blood...or something like that.

[Fio1]

It will be interesting if he can afford Jos. Personally, I'd take the two paying drivers (Phillipe & Clarke) who did very well last year and as long as the team is good will do even better...

[apex]

but Stoddart hiring him mas a driver doesn't make much sense since he trashed minardi and Jos's manager pissed Paul off big time.:shakehead

That was water under the bridge long ago.
The only issue now is keeping Jos's manager in check!

[extramundane]

The only issue now is cashing Jos' check!

Fixed it for you.

[apex]

Fixed it for you.

Did i say that?;)

[NismoZ]

Agree Fio...Speedy and Fabio easily worth one Boss...but would we "pack Assen?";)