father of Max Verstappen, Jos Verstappen walked away from a violent crash during the Rallye de Wallonie in Belgium, after his car flipped onto its roof following a high-speed incident on a tree-lined stage, with both the 54-year-old and his co-driver escaping without injury despite significant damage to the vehicle.
Crash at Loyers ends strong run in Belgium
The incident took place on Sunday during the Rallye de Wallonie, a round of the FIA-licensed European Rally Championship, where Verstappen had been competing strongly and was reportedly running third before the accident brought his event to an abrupt end. According to local reports and footage shared from the stage, Verstappen lost control of his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 on a dusty section of the course, with gravel affecting grip as the car entered a right-hand bend at speed, before striking a post and then a tree, which triggered a violent sequence that left the car upside down by the side of the road with debris scattered across the track. Race organisers later confirmed the severity of the crash in a statement, noting: “Jos ‘The Bos’ Verstappen has been forced to leave after a crash at Loyers… Despite everything, more fear than harm. Jos Verstappen and Jasper Vermeulen come out unharmed.”
Verstappen explains moment control was lost
Speaking afterwards via the championship’s official social channels, Verstappen described the sequence in detail, explaining how conditions on the stage played a part in the crash. “It was a right-hand bend that I had to take in fourth gear. It was dusty, there was gravel on the surface,” he said. “I think I went into the corner a bit too fast, and at the end of the corner, the car broke away. “Then we hit a post. The post whipped the car around, and then we landed on the roof.” In a separate account shared following the crash, he added: “At the end of the corner the car broke out on the back side, then we hit the post. Due to the hit the car was spinning in circles and then we landed upside down. “Most importantly Jasper and myself came out of the car safely. It was a big crash, but the cars are so safe, this proves it again, I’m happy we came out well.”
Co-driver safe as team deals with disrupted weekend
Verstappen’s co-driver, Jasper Vermeulen, was also unhurt in the incident, stepping out of the car alongside him after the roll, with both able to walk away without assistance. The weekend had already been complicated before the crash, with organisers noting the earlier absence of his usual co-driver Renaud Jamoul, who was unavailable due to injury after suffering a double fracture of the malleolus, forcing a late change in the cockpit.
From Formula 1 to rally champion
Verstappen, who raced in Formula 1 between 1994 and 2003, has remained active in motorsport through rallying and enjoyed success in the discipline, including winning the Belgian Rally Championship in 2025 while regularly competing in events across Europe.He is also widely known as the father of Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 world champion, who has previously spoken on the Up To Speed podcast about his father’s rallying career with admiration while also acknowledging the risks involved in the sport. “I think it’s really cool, but I just think about if I make a mistake and I hit that tree,” Max said in an earlier interview. “I mean the tree is not moving. That, for me, is my limit. “That, for me, is something that I don’t want to do. It’s just too high of a risk. “And I know that sounds maybe a bit silly, but in Formula 1 at least or most of the time, when you crash, there is a barrier… It’s a bit different in my head at least.”
Severe crash ends rally but safety measures prove decisive
While the Skoda sustained extensive damage, ultimately forcing an early end to his participation in the Rally of Wallonia as the car was left beyond repair, the outcome was defined by the fact that both driver and co-driver were able to walk away from what organisers described as a “violent crash.” The incident reinforced the level of safety built into modern rally cars, even in high-impact situations. Despite the setback, the overall takeaway remains positive given what could have happened. The father of Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s star driver, has already shown in previous events that his competitive spirit remains strong. Following this dramatic episode, he is expected to focus on recovery and preparation for future rallies, aiming to return stronger.
