Jos Verstappen’s legal team is expected to commence proceedings against the Arrows team over contract breach shortly.

Arrows dumped Verstappen in February after deciding that Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who had been released from his Prost commitments after the team’s collapse, was a better driver to front its driving attack. That was despite Verstappen already holding a binding driving contract.

Huub Rothengatter, Verstappen’s manager, said before the season that he would be pursuing the issue and aiming to get considerable compensation.

‘We will start to have a substantial claim against Arrows and we are prepared to pursue this through the courts,’ the Dutchman said.

‘People think it is the end of the story but it is not, we will take action that's for sure. What is the value of a signed contract? We did not just shake hands or smile at each other.

‘It was a signed contract which had been registered at the (F1) contracts recognition bureau in Geneva.’