Verstappen a candidate for vacant Jordan seat
The 30-year-old was thought to be vying with countryman Christijan Albers for the drive at Minardi alongside British rookie Justin Wilson.
However, Verstappen who spent the New Year in Norway skiing with old friend and former team-mate Michael Schumacher has revealed he is in talks with other teams.
Only Jordan have a vacancy for the 2003 campaign which gets underway in Australia on March 9. "We know what we are doing and, although nothing is sure in Formula One, it looks good," said Verstappen, who has been without a drive since being surprisingly dropped by Arrows before the start of last season.
"In F1 everything involves money, but there are other details to work on. We are in contact with all teams where we think they can offer me a chance. The general public might think that we are only talking with Minardi but that is not true. We are speaking with other teams as well. That is all I can say, it is very sensitive." Meanwhile Williams-BMW technical director Patrick Head has called on Juan Pablo Montoya to use his head if he is to challenge Michael Schumacher for the world championship.
The Colombian has shown flashes of brilliance during his two years in Formula One but has only managed to convert a string of pole positions into one race win. Despite his obvious speed, Head believes Montoya is still some way off the level of Schumacher and warned him to drive more thoughtfully or risk wasting his talent.
"I think Juan has enormous talent," said Head.
"I think he's got quite a way to go to be at a level where he could win a championship.
"I'm sure we'll be having some friendly and open talks over the winter with him, because Juan has immense talent and I think it would be very sad if it got wasted. Arrows have had "a lot of interest" from prospective buyers after being placed into administration.
Administrative receivers Philip Long and Brian Hamblin of accountants and business advisors PKF were yesterday appointed to manage Arrows' affairs. Long insists the team can have a future, with plenty of interested parties contacting him about a possible takeover: "There has been a lot of interest in Arrows. The global brand has an excellent pedigree with more than 25 years of racing experience and will generate a great deal of attention."
The Oxfordshire-based team missed several grands prix in 2002 as team owner Tom Walkinshaw struggled to fund a supply of Cosworth engines.
Arrows' entry into the 2003 world championship was subsequently refused, forcing the team to lay off all their staff last month.
