Jos Verstappen crashes in Rallye des Wallonie, escapes injury

Former F1 driver Jos Verstappen’s Rallye des Wallonie run ended abruptly on Sunday when his Skoda flipped on the opening stage. The 54‑year‑old, who was sitting third after Day 1, walked away unhurt alongside co‑driver Jasper Vermeulen.

Why it matters:

• Highlights safety and risks of cross‑disciplinary racing for ex‑F1 drivers.
• Impacts Verstappen’s rally campaign after a 40‑second penalty dropped him from the podium.
• Keeps attention on Max Verstappen’s family and fuels media narrative around the former champion’s son.

The details:

• Crash occurred early in the first stage Sunday, after Verstappen veered off the road and the car rolled over.
• Social‑media posts from the rally confirmed severe damage; the vehicle ended upside down.
• No injuries were reported for Verstappen or co‑driver Jasper Vermeulen.
• Verstappen was without his regular co‑driver Renaud Jamoul, who broke an ankle earlier in the week.
• He had served a 40‑second time penalty for speeding on a liaison section on Saturday, dropping from P3 to P17 before the crash.

What's next:

• Verstappen will miss the remainder of the weekend, ending any chance of a podium finish.
• He may return for upcoming Belgian events if the car is repaired and the team resolves the penalty issue.
• The incident underscores the need for stricter safety checks when ex‑F1 drivers compete in rallying.