Jos Verstappen and Lola MasterCard just sealed the deal for a seat in 1997. The team is more then happy to provide the Dutch with a superb car powered by their own V10 engine. Can you imagine this news back in early 1997? A couple of years ago I did read that both were in contact for 1997. It would be the return for the British team on the grid after 1993. What I believed to be just a silly gossip, some made up story to profile the Lola team better seemed to be the reality 29 years ago.
I was actually doing some research on another topic about Jos the Boss and Jordan Grand Prix I came across this info again. The rumours date back to October 1996. At that time, it was a public secret that Jos Verstappen would not stay with Walkinshaw’s Arrows team. Instead, Huub Rothengatter was in talks with several teams. Stewart, Sauber, Jordan Grand Prix, Tyrrell and even with Flavio Briatore for some role perhaps at Benetton or Minardi. Enough for an article on it’s own.
However, the reality is that after the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix where Jos finished eleventh something interesting was happening. Lola signed their notorious deal with MasterCard the 5th of November 1996. Two weeks prior the deal the team had contact with Huub Rothengatter to see if Jos was available for next season. Just after the Japanese Grand Prix Jos was indeed available, though negotiations were undergoing with several teams at that point. I could only uncover that the talks were about the wishes from both teams to come to an agreement. You can assume that some sponsor money had to be brought in.
While the talks, especially with Sauber and Tyrrell at this point, were undergoing, the interest from Lola was still there. It could be an interesting move if the T97/30 was a reliable car and not designed and built in a hurry. The car, that only rarely saw the wind tunnel, was far from what the team’s dream was. Their own car, ready to win races powered by their own V10 engine.
