Jos Verstappen has once again done well for the Belgian Rally Championship (BRC). The 2025 champion finished second during the TAC Rally in Tielt, Belgium. It was the first time that Verstappen, together with co-driver Renaud Jamoul, participated in the rally. As a result, it was a bit of a feeling-out process for the driver at the beginning, who looked back on the rally weekend with satisfaction: ‘It kept getting better’.
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Last September, Jos Verstappen took the title in the Belgian Rally Championship (BRC) and this season he is also making a bid to defend his title. With an impressive podium finish during the BRC TAC Rally in Tielt, Verstappen is already doing well. Prior to the weekend, the current champion, together with co-driver Renaud Jamoul, had swapped the Citroën C3 Rally2 car for the familiar Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. The Dutch former F1 driver let it be known beforehand that he expected a difficult rally in Belgium. “There are different types of asphalt, resulting in changes in the amount of grip,” he explained. “That will be a matter of feeling it out at the beginning. I expect we will be close to each other and that it depends on the form of the day.”
The first loop indeed proved to be a bit of a feeling-out process for Verstappen, who crossed the line third, third, fourth, and fourth respectively over four special stages. Thus, he was third after the first loop, trailing leader Maxim Potty by 7,9 seconds. During the second loop, Verstappen found his rhythm and started the same four special stages with the fastest time, followed by a second, second, and third time respectively.
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Upward trend
Verstappen continued his upward trend in the third and final loop, where he once again won the first stage. As a result, the rally driver moved up one spot in the standings. Although Verstappen closed the gap even further on eventual winner Potty during the final stages of the day, he had to let the victory pass him by. However, Verstappen was satisfied after the finish. “It definitely went better during the last loop,” he told Verstappen.com. “When you know the course better, it also goes better. I am happy with the car, it is actually perfect. Everything goes a bit easier with the Skoda and that is what rallying is all about after all.”
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