As Max Verstappen was gearing up for the upcoming Spanish GP, his father Jos was tackling the Swedish leg of the European Rally Championship. The Dutchman faced a significant challenge on Friday with various gravel tracks. Unfortunately, things went awry by the end of the day – he and co-driver Renaud Jamoul rolled their car. The pair emerged unscathed from the crash, but their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car was not so fortunate.
“The stages are fast on gravel,” Jos Verstappen responded after the first segments on Thursday to Verstappen.com. “It looks great, but the stages are also demanding, you need a lot of confidence. There’s less grip than we expected, but it’s very nice and educational to drive here.” On Friday in Sweden, eight more tests followed over four different stages. Light rain would make the day even more challenging.
Fierce Crash
“It’s very difficult,” Jos Verstappen concluded after the first sessions. “I think we also made the wrong tire choice because the car slides a lot. It’s hard to find the right rhythm.” The duo improved during the second loop, although the subsequent tests proved to be a challenge again. “It remains difficult,” said the former Formula 1 driver. “There are no racing lines yet, and there’s a lot of loose gravel.” After the second time, he was not much more enthusiastic: “In my opinion, we have too little traction. It doesn’t feel the way I would like. It was still very slippery.”
Starting from the eighteenth position in the overall standings, Jos Verstappen and Renaud Jamoul embarked on the final stage of Friday. However, halfway through the second trial, things went awry – the rear wheels of the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 ended up off the track, causing the entire car to flip over. Both occupants were able to exit unharmed, although their vehicle was less fortunate. Despite the damage, they hope to continue their weekend on Saturday.
