Did Verstappen test for Ligier or not?

Before Max Verstappen, there was Jos Verstappen. Jos came, saw and left the Formula One at the end of 2003 with Minardi. However, there was a time that experts pointed out that Jos had the potential to become the next World Champion in the years that were coming. He showed his raw talent during his first test for Footwork the 28^th of September 1993 and his second test with McLaren at Silverstone the 18^th and 19^th of November 1993.  We all know how it went; Verstappen made the wrong choice and went to Benetton, instead of McLaren to become their test driver. At Benetton was Flavio Briatore who was also involved with Ligier. The question is now, did Jos the Boss test for Ligier in 1994? How was it again in 1995 and 1996?

It was slightly a hard research to seek if Jos Verstappen tested in 1994 for Ligier. It is know he was to test for the team in 1995 (more to come) and in 1996; he tested with the Ligier JS41 fitted with Bridgestone tyres. However, 1994 seems to be a different story as there little to known know about Verstappen’s fling with Ligier. It all started with the moment he signed the contract with Benetton for 1994. That same year Flavio Briatore and Tom Walkinshaw purchased the team from Guy Ligier. A sad story from that era is that Guy Ligier was refused access to the paddock for the French Grand Prix. As he was not involved anymore.

Verstappen’s debut came quicker than expected as JJ Lehto broke a vertebra. In his first race in Brazil, he collided with Eddie Irvine. His second race went much better. At the Pacific Grand Prix he was on P6 when, after having a pit stop, he spun off on cold tyres. Lehto returned in the B194 cockpit in Imola. However, he got replaced after the Canadian Grand Prix due to poor performance by Jos Verstappen. It is at this time that Jos Verstappen seemed to have tested for Ligier at Barcelona.

Autosport mentioned in their 23 June 1994 edition that Jos Verstappen had tested for Ligier the 20^th of June at Barcelona. Though that Ligier would keep their French line up in Magny Cours. There is almost nothing known about the test at Barcelona. When I dove into my own archive, I came across some more information. On a note was written that Jos Verstappen tested not one but several days at Barcelona with the Ligier JS39B. Also at the track were Rory Byrne and Frank Dernie from Benetton. There was no one else on the track. Eventually Verstappen had to leave earlier therefore; Éric Bernard was called to continue testing.

Even more interestingly is that Jos was rumoured to replace either Éric Bernard after the Canadian Grand Prix, or to replace Olivier Panis after the French Grand Prix. Neither of these rumours happened eventually. It keeps an interesting part of his career. How hard you look for information about 1994, you won’t find any about his test with the JS39B.

What was the deal for 1995 then? Jos Verstappen was placed at Simtek for 1995 Flavio Briatore. The reason, to put Jos out of the picture and let him gain experience to return to Benetton in 1996. At Simtek, his raw talent came on the surface again. He did the impossible with the Simtek S951, if there was money to continually improve the Simtek there would definitely been points for the team. However, the team folded after the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix. There were wild rumours of a Simtek fitted by a Mugen-Honda engine this was debunked. After Verstappen lost his seat at Simtek, he tested again for Benetton. The same time there were rumours involving Jos with a seat for Ligier in 1996.

It didn’t stop there, rumours said that Jos Verstappen could replace Martin Brundle for the last race of the season at Ligier. Philips was to bring in some extra sponsor-money to help Jos in the Ligier. This did not happen. However, what was to happen was the test with the Ligier JS41 the 4^th or 5^th of October 1995 at Estoril. Eventually this test did not happen. Reports around that time mentioned that there were not enough “new” Mugen-Honda engines available therefore; Verstappen was unable to test with the JS41. There are photos from Jos sitting in the JS41 and outside the car in the Ligier overall.

Something strange happened after his test did not happen which almost left me thing about a small conspiracy. The fact is that Jos was released from his contract with Benetton. When you do your research around this period with Benetton, Ligier, Simtek, Verstappen and Briatore you will get the taste that Briatore wanted Verstappen out. This is based on zero facts, pure on the strange taste i got from this period.

So it happened that a week later Jos Verstappen put on a new overall. This time from Jackie Oliver’s Footwork Team. The 10^th of October 1995 Verstappen took place behind the wheel of the FA16 at Silverstone. It is said that technical director Alan Jenkins “wanted” Verstappen to test the car to get “different” feedback on the car which h had not been able to get from the “other” drivers. There is another reason I think. Both Jackie and Alan believed that Jos was the driver they needed. To let their team grow, still charmed form his test back in 1993. However, Jackie ruled out that there was a possibility for Jos to replace either Inoue or Papis for the rest of the season.

While at the end of the 1995 Season Jos was linked with both Ligier and Footwork for 1996 another unexpected thing happened. Tom Walkinshaw acquired 40% of the team by buying out Rees for a huge amount of money. His associate Peter Darnbrough bought 11% of the shares. While Jackie Oliver kept 49% of the team. This opened the door for Verstappen again and indirectly also the test with the Ligier JS41 that never happened.

Verstappen had worked together with Walkinshaw in 1994 at Benetton. As Walkinshaw purchased the Ligier team previous year, he had the JS41s still somewhere stored. Bridgestone on the other hand developed new Formula One tyres (their first test by the way was back in the late 80s!), and were in search for a “recent” Formula One car for their test program. Tom Walkinshaw happened to have the Ligier JS41s stored and he offered Bridgestone to maintain the car while Bridgestone would test. Jos Verstappen was one of the first drivers that would test for Bridgestone.

Jos Verstappen appeared behind the wheel of the TWR JS41 at Suzuka the 5^th and 6^th of June 1996. Verstappen completed an intensive testing program for Bridgestone. Later he would test again for Bridgestone. Eventually Damon Hill would continue testing for Bridgestone with the TWR JS41.