Jos Verstappen, former Formula 1 driver and father of Max Verstappen, will make his debut in the Belgian World Rally Championship WRC3 this weekend. We talked about the fact that he is preparing for this and today he went to the start of the race in a Citroen C3 Rally2, prepared by the Belgian DG Sport team.
Verstappen Sr. completed his career in F1 in 2003, but since then he has started the 24 Hours of Le Mans a few times and this year decided to try his hand at rallying. Jos took part in the Belgian Championships and took the class win in his debut race and finished second in the next. It must be assumed that the first success inspired him, and now the 50-year-old Verstappen has decided to enter the international rally arena.
“I have always enjoyed watching WRC races, they are always very spectacular,” he said. – I drove a rally car for the first time, probably a year and a half ago, and after that I naturally wanted to continue this experience more and more. That’s why we started racing behind the wheel of a Rally2 car together with the DG Sport team, and now we have the chance to start the Ypres Rally.
It’s a big step, but rallying is just fun for us and we’re here to learn. I am 50 years old and still learning a lot because I have to gain experience. For example, it was important to learn to perceive the dialogue with the navigator, because when I was competing in single-seater races, I didn’t like it when the engineer said something to me on the radio during the Grand Prix.
Now the navigator is constantly talking to me, and I had to get used to it, although it was not easy for me in the beginning, because it can distract the pilot, but you have to stay focused and do what is asked of you. But things are getting better now, and I think the more you practice, the better you get at all these skills.”
Jos Verstappen is in the same crew as navigator Harm van Koppen. Yesterday the so-called “shakedown” took place at the Rally of Ypres, but today the real battle has already started on the track, and the race ends on Sunday.
Source: F1 News
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