Great rumors for the Dutch F1 fans...

[Ferry_vO]

According to this Italian newspaper, Max Verstappen, son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen is about to announce a deal with Mercedes F1 and will soon test the 2012 model!
Max is just 16 years old, but last season won every karting championship he entered, broke a few lap records in Formula Renault 2.0 winter testing and is now underway in his first ever full season in race car. He choose to start his career in the strong European F3 championship where he is currently in P2 after having won six races in a row in Belgium and on the Norisring. And now already to GP2 and possibly F1!

http://autosprint.corrieredellosport...ercedes/17463/

Translation:

At only sixteen years old, and less than a year since his debut in the car, Max Verstappen (son of Jos driver in Formula One in the 90s) was the subject of a little hidden disputed by several teams of the Circus. At the end Verstappen decided, and these days will formalize its relationship with Mercedes, Red Bull and preferred to the other two deals on the plate. His brilliant performance in the European Formula 3 series, series that Verstappen has chosen for his debut in the car, have sparked an interest that did not show for a long time in the world of formulas in preparation.

Verstappen, accompanied by his father Jos, visited the Formula One paddock at Hockenheim last weekend, enjoying not just with the representatives of the Mercedes. At the moment Max is in second place in the European championship of Formula 3, and it is anticipated that a possible transition next year in the GP2 championship. But in the short term there are rumors of a first tests on the Mercedes Formula One in 2012.

[Panther_99FS]

Good for him & dad!
I always did like Jos...

[Ferry_vO]

Not Mercedes, but Red Bull!: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlin...4/8/16202.html

He already tested a WSR3.5 car today.. Could he make the jump from Karting to F1 in just three years..??

[Ferry_vO]

Rumors in the Dutch media persist he could even step into F1 in 2015, for Scuderia Toro Rosso.....

[Ferry_vO]

Just confirmed on Austrian television: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115435

Max Verstappen will race in Formula 1 at the age of 17 when he joins the Toro Rosso team next year, the Red Bull-owned squad announced on Monday.
The Dutchman, currently competing in the Formula 3 European Championship, will join Russian Daniil Kvyat, replacing Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne.
Verstappen, the son of former grand prix driver Jos, had joined the Red Bull F1 junior programme just last week.
He has won eight F3 races in his maiden season of car racing, having competing in karting until last year.

As revealed by AUTOSPORT earlier this month, he had been linked with the Mercedes F1 junior programme as well.
Verstappen will become the youngest ever driver to be on the F1 grid when he races in next year's Australian Grand Prix.
The previous record holder was Jaime Alguersuari, who made his GP debut at 19 years and 125 days of age, also with Toro Rosso.
"Ever since I was seven years old, Formula 1 has been my career goal, so this opportunity is truly a dream come true," said Verstappen.
His team-mate Kvyat made his debut this year at the age of 19.

"We are happy to welcome Max into the Toro Rosso family," said team boss Franz Tost.
"It's great to see how the Red Bull Junior Programme continues to find talented young drivers and gives them the opportunity to come into Formula 1.
"We consider Max to be as one of the most skilled young drivers of the new generation and we believe he has the necessary maturity and mental strength to take on this challenge successfully."

The news means Vergne's future in Formula 1 will depend on finding a drive elsewhere.
"I would also like to thank Jean-Eric Vergne for all his hard work," added Tost.
"He has produced strong performances, but unfortunately he was also hindered by some reliability problems, especially in the first half of the current season.
"We hope that we have resolved these problems and that he will be able to end the second half of this season on a high note and thereby show that he still deserves another opportunity in Formula 1."