How Ferrari blocked Jos Verstappen deal with Sauber

The 1996 F1 season was ending, and Jos Verstappen needed an escape route. After a brutal year with backmarkers Arrows – where he’d only finished four races – the Dutch driver was inches away from signing with midfield contenders Sauber. The deal was practically done. Then Ferrari made a phone call.

The Sauber Lifeline
By autumn 1996, Verstappen’s manager had brokered what looked like a career-saving move. Sauber wanted him alongside Johnny Herbert for 1997 – a huge upgrade from Arrows’ unreliable machinery. The contract was being finalized.

Then, on November 29, everything changed.

Ferrari’s Political Play
When Sauber signed a deal for Ferrari’s rebranded Petronas engines, Maranello demanded a favor: “Take our test driver.” Suddenly, Nicola Larini – a competent but unspectacular Italian – was in Verstappen’s seat.

The cruel irony? Larini hated the car. He quit after just five races, calling the Sauber “undriveable.” The seat Verstappen had nearly secured went to three different drivers that season – none delivering results.

Scrambling for Survival
Blindsided by the Ferrari intervention, Verstappen scrambled for options. He landed at Tyrrell – a once-great team now running on fumes. The 1997 season became another write-off, with the underfunded squad often failing to qualify.

Meanwhile, Sauber’s Ferrari-powered car proved decent. Herbert scored six points finishes. One can’t help but wonder: what if Verstappen had gotten that seat?

F1’s Harsh Reality
This wasn’t about speed or talent. Verstappen had shown flashes of brilliance – his wet-weather drive at Hungary ’94 proved that. This was pure politics: a manufacturer flexing its muscle over a customer team.

Twenty-five years later, the sting remains. When Max Verstappen dominates in Red Bull colors, it’s hard not to think about how different Jos’ career might have been if not for that Ferrari-engineered twist of fate.

The Bitter Truth: In F1, sometimes your career depends less on your right foot than on who’s whispering in the team principal’s ear.