Jos Verstappen presses on with Mercedes, but why?

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Jos Verstappen met with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, no doubt to discuss his son's F1 future.

The Verstappen family has expressed its frustrations with the disappointing performance of Red Bull Racing this season, much of which has been linked to the relative weakness of its Renault power unit.

Max Verstappen has found himself on the receiving end of the manufacturer's persistent reliability issues, falling victim to mechanical problems in four races this year.

The 19-year-old remains contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2019 season and the Milton Keynes-based outfit has no intention to let its young driver loose prematurely.

Mateschitz : 'Verstappen has nowhere to go!'

Jos Verstappen may believe otherwise, hence his talks with Mercedes, but the German outfit's non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda ,w ho was also seen in discussion yesterday with Red Bull's Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, does not see the matter in the same light.

"All the rumours are nonsense," said Lauda on Friday.

"The fact is that Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2019. Until 2020 there can be no change for him. He has to be there for another two years.

"Until then, so much can happen that it makes no sense for me to even talk about this topic," the Mercedes team chairman added."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.