April 27, 2026, 7:54 am
Jos Verstappen was involved in a major crash during the Rallye de Wallonie in Belgium, bringing an early end to his weekend. The incident took place on Sunday morning during the Loyers special stage, where the 54-year-old lost control of his car in a fast section.
Driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, Verstappen was caught out in a quick left-right sequence before the car struck a tree on the left side and rolled over. The impact was described as severe, with images from the scene showing extensive damage to the car. Despite the intensity of the crash, both Verstappen and his co-driver, Jasper Vermeulen, escaped without injury.
The crash ended what had been a strong comeback drive for Verstappen. He had started the rally on the back foot after receiving a 40-second penalty for speeding on a liaison section, which dropped him to 17th place. However, he fought his way back through the field with a series of strong stage performances, including stage wins, and had climbed to third overall by the end of Saturday.This year’s Rallye de Wallonie also presented an added challenge for Verstappen, as he was competing without his regular co-driver Renaud Jamoul, who was sidelined due to an ankle injury. Vermeulen stepped in for the event and was adapting to reading pacenotes in English for the first time.Verstappen entered the event as the reigning Belgian Rally Champion, but the heavy crash forced him to retire from the fourth round of the championship.
