Jos Verstappen was prematurely eliminated from the Rally of Wallonia on Sunday after a heavy crash in the morning. The Dutchman went off the road during the first special stage of the final day, causing his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to roll over. Verstappen and his co-driver Jasper Vermeulen remained unharmed.
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(Photo: X Rallye Sport)
According to the organization of the Rallye des Wallonie, the incident occurred shortly after the start of the day’s first stage. Images circulating on social media show Verstappen’s heavily damaged car coming to a stop upside down next to the track. Medical checks confirmed that both the driver and his navigator were fine, but resuming the rally was not an option.
The crash marked an abrupt end to a rally weekend that had been looking up for Verstappen. After the first day, he was third in the general classification, despite earlier setbacks. On Saturday, he received a forty-second time penalty for speeding on the liaison section, which turned a fastest time in the opening stage into a seventeenth place. Verstappen then managed to fight his way back towards the podium. It was particularly noteworthy that Verstappen was not driving with his regular navigator this weekend. Renaud Jamoul had to withdraw after breaking his ankle and was replaced by Jasper Vermeulen.
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Watch the video from Formule 1 Paddockpraat with Jos Verstappen about rallying here:
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