Dutchman Jos Verstappen is the most likely driver to replace Damon Hill for the remainder of the 1999 season. Verstappen, who drove 9 races for Stewart last year, had begun testing with the Jordan team today, at Silverstone.

With Damon Hill deciding not to wait until the end of this season but rather quit Formula One now, Verstappen was approached by the Jordan team and was offered the ride.

"I'm very happy that I get the opportunity again to demonstrate my driving talent in a top team which Jordan is," Verstappen told his official website. "Besides McLaren and Ferrari, Jordan Grand Prix is the only team with a Grand Prix victory this year and their well-deserved third place for the constructors championship. You can imagine that I will take this opportunity with both hands. I will do everything possible to stay in the car and with the team for the rest of the season. I am so glad that Eddie Jordan but also Honda gave me this fantastic chance and I hereby like to thank them very very much."

Damon Hill is expected to make an official announcement today calling it quits and will most likely not even race at the British Grand Prix next week. His seat at Jordan is very sought after, with Finn Mika Salo and Japan's Shinji Nakano two of those who were waiting for a call from Jordan. Nakano will also beging testing today, at Silverstone, with Verstappen, although his testing appearance was scheduled further back and is not because of Hill's expected retirement.

But Salo and Nakano weren'tt the only ones who were willing and eager for a Jordan drive - ITV commentator and the recent Le Mans Pole sitter, Martin Brundle, offered to drive for Jordan in the upcoming British Grand Prix. "I'm very fit and would only need a couple of test sessions to get used to the car," Brundle told the British Sun newspaper.