Verstappen chooses son Max over Le Mans return

Jos Verstappen will not race at Le Mans next year as he prefers instead to focus on supporting the F1 career of his son Max.

Since his last grand prix in 2003, Jos has contested the fabled 24 hour endurance race a couple of times and was reportedly considering a return for 2016.

But next year, Le Mans is in a controversial scheduling clash with the inaugural European grand prix in Azerbaijan, meaning 2015 winner Nico Hulkenberg cannot defend his title.

And Verstappen, the 43-year-old father of Toro Rosso’s teenage sensation, told BNR Nieuwsradio that he will also be in Baku rather than at Le Mans next June.

That is despite the fact that talks with former Le Mans winner Jan Lammers and Frits van Eerd - owner of personal sponsor Jumbo - had taken place about a potential Le Mans foray for 2016.

"It didn’t fit into the programme this time," Jos revealed.

"At the moment I am concentrating everything on Max. I think it (Le Mans) would be nice of course, and of course I want to race.

"But I think at this moment, Max is most important. I want him to win races, I want him to be world champion," Verstappen snr added.