There is great news for the Rally of Haspengouw, the South Belgian Rally, the Kroon-Oil Belgian Rally Championship and for rally fans in general. Jos Verstappen will return to the wheel and will make his rally debut in Belgium.
Verstappen will make his first official rally appearance in the Rally van Haspengouw on February 26, the opening round of the Kroon-Oil Belgian Rally Championship. Then he will also start the South Belgian Rally on March 19 with the Citroën C3 Rally 2 of DG Sport Competition.
What started as a hobby has become more and more serious over time. Jos had hoped to be able to drive his first rally in Assen last year, but unfortunately it was canceled due to corona. In a few weeks it will still be time and Jos will put a Citroën C3 R5 (Rally2 car) prepared by DG Sport Competition on the Belgian roads, with Kris Botson, the experienced Belgian navigator at his side.
Jos enthusiastically states: “I’m really looking forward to it and have found that I really enjoy rallying. Mainly because it is very unpredictable. Of course I am very driven and I have the support of a top team, but I will have to find my own limits again, together with my navigator. I want to do it right, but the reason I’m getting into this rally adventure is because it brings me joy.”
The former Formula 1 driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 winner may have a wealth of track experience, in the rally world, the 49-year-old driver enters again as a rookie. Jos is well aware that it will certainly not be an easy task.
Jos continues: “Rally driving is something you really do on experience. To gain that experience will be the biggest challenge. This is unlike anything in my motorsport career, for me everything is really new: from the car to the working method, making and using pacenotes, listening to directions while driving and getting to know all the stages. There is little or no opportunity to explore a course, so you have to be up to speed immediately, while on the other hand you want to avoid unnecessary risks.”
Despite all his experience behind the wheel, it is a leap of faith for Jos to be a beginner in to get into rallying.
Jos says: “All in all, it’s a very big challenge and I really don’t expect to be able to ride at the top just like that. Of course I will do my best, but my goal is to gain experience and above all to learn as much as possible. I feel good behind the wheel in my Citroën and have a lot of fun. That is the most important thing for me.”
The second round of the BRC, the South Belgian Rally, will take place on 19 March. After that, it will be considered which rallies Jos will participate in during the rest of the year, looking for a mix of the events from the Belgian Rally Championship and the international World Rally Championship (WRC).
