Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen’s father, suffers rollover crash in Belgian rally

Jos Verstappen, 54, the father of Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, crashed and rolled over Sunday during the Rallye des Wallonie in Belgium after his Skoda struck a pole, RTL reported.

The incident occurred on the third day of the multi-stage rally near Namen, during the first special stage in Loyers. Verstappen and co-driver Jasper Vermeulen were competing when the car left the road after a fast right-hand corner.

Organizers confirmed the withdrawal in a Facebook post, stating: “Verstappen has been eliminated. The first special stage in Loyers ended for Jos Verstappen after a serious crash that caused his Skoda to roll over. The crew is fine, but the car is heavily damaged, and continuing is not possible.”

Verstappen and Vermeulen exited the vehicle without assistance after the crash, RTL's reporter noticed. Verstappen later described the crash in comments on the Belgian Rally Championship Instagram account:

“It was a right-hand corner I had to take in fourth gear. It was dusty, and there was gravel on the road. I think I entered the corner too quickly, and the car lost grip at the exit. We then hit a pole. The impact with the pole sent the car spinning, and we ended up on the roof. The most important thing is that Jasper and I were able to get out of the car safely. It was a major crash. But these are very safe cars, and that showed again. I’m just glad we both walked away without injury.”