No Sauber role for Verstappen

It appears that Verstappen's height compared to regular Sauber drivers Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa has made it logistically impossible to fit the former Benetton, Simtek and Tyrrell star in the C21.

"If Jos had to step into a grand prix weekend for Sauber in a car which is meant for another driver it would take at least three hours to change everything," said his manager Huub Rothengatter on Verstappen's website. "This is a giant practical problem. No changes would have to be done to the monocoque (which meant no extra expensive crash tests), but things like pedals, steering column, seat and the seat belt construction. This is almost the whole of the interior of the cockpit. Mission impossible if you want to drive as well in that weekend."

Verstappen's options for this season appear limited. He was linked with an Opel drive in the DTM, although this was subsequently denied, and there are no vacant top-line seats in Champ Car for him to step into.