Red Bull’s Max Verstappen claimed his first Formula 1 victory of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix, while at the same time, his father Jos Verstappen made an impressive debut in the European Rally Championship.
Jos took part in the ERC season-opening Sierra Morena Rally in Córdoba, Spain, and eventually finished 14th overall.
The result can certainly be considered a good one, given the number of experienced and skilled ERC drivers he was competing against.
After the rally, Verstappen emphasised that he was on a “learning journey” in Córdoba – and in that regard, the trip was quite successful.
We keep learning and trying to improve step by step,” Verstappen summed up on his website.
“The notes are coming through more clearly now, but there’s still a lot to fine-tune if we want to gain more time,” he added.
Driving a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Verstappen eventually finished just under five and a half minutes behind rally winner Nikolay Gryazin. The next plan is already set.
“We’ll do everything we can to keep improving,” Jos concluded. “We’re planning more testing sessions to prepare for the gravel rally in Hungary. It’s a steep learning curve, but that’s exactly why we’re here,” Verstappen said.
Jos Verstappen is best remembered as a former Formula 1 driver. He raced in F1 between 1994 and 1998, and again between 2000 and 2001. The Dutchman did not win any races during his F1 career, but he did step onto the podium twice. He began his rallying career in 2022.
The next generation has gone even further: Max Verstappen has already won four Formula 1 world titles.
