Verstappen to take legal action

Jos Verstappen is intending to take legal action against Orange Arrows after the team dropped him from the 2002 line up in favour of Heinz Harald Frentzen. Recently Verstappen said he was very disappointed over the way things had been handled because he had a signed contract and Arrows gave him the impression he would be driving for them this year.

"I frequently had contact with the engineers and Mike Coughlan," he said. "You try to keep up with the developments at the factory as much as you can. Raymond Vermeulen even had contact with the team manager till the Wednesday. We have continuously kept contact with the team, that's the only thing we could do.

"We even sent in our license, which you only get after a thorough physical examination, on request of the team. Arrow gave us a constant feeling that I would drive in the coming season. It is hard to imagine, since me and my wife Sophie had stayed over at Tom's house in January. We even went hunting together and have had good conversations, like friends do, if you get my drift? I thought we had a good personal tie together. And then to be put aside like this."

Verstappen signed a contract last year to drive for Arrows this season but they announced he had been released from his contract at the same time they confirmed Frentzen as driver. How Arrows released him from a valid contract without his agreement is unexplained but Verstappen and his manager Huub Rothengatter are, understandably, not happy.

"We will start to have a substantial claim against Arrows and we are prepared to pursue this through the courts," said Rothengatter. "People think it is the end of the story but it is not, we will take action that's for sure. What is the value of a signed contract? We did not just shake hands or smile at each other. It was a signed contract which had been registered at the contracts recognition bureau in Geneva."

Verstappen is now faced with finding a seat for the season, which is unlikely as the first race is in two weeks time.