The 52-year-old Dutchman has chosen Corsica to compete in his first historic rally behind the wheel of a 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RS. Other renowned drivers will also be at the start of the 24th edition taking place from October 5 to 12, 2024.
A prominent figure in the Formula 1 paddocks since the 1990s - first as a driver and then alongside his son Max - Jos Verstappen will line up for the Tour de Corse Historique from October 5 to 12, 2024.
For his first historic rally, the Dutchman will draw on his solid experience in modern rallies, having contested all rounds of the Belgian Championship since 2022, where he has already accumulated six victories. “He doesn’t yet have the terrain reading skills of a true specialist to anticipate changes in grip on the track,” says his co-driver Renaud Jamoul. “However, he retains an exceptional sensitivity to braking from his circuit days. He presses very hard on the pedal until the point of lock-up, then releases gradually, like an ABS system.”
This is fortunate because there will be no question of electronic aids in the 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RS that he will be driving in Corsica. “Jos belongs to the generation of H-gearboxes, so handling an older car is not an issue for him, unlike current F1 drivers,” analyzes preparer Romain Joffroy, who organized a test session for his new driver in May. “Jos can't yet measure the pleasure he's going to get from this rally at the wheel of this 330bhp, 930kg rear-wheel drive car. It’s his first participation, but certainly not the last!”
Jos Verstappen in short
Born in 1973, Johannes Verstappen began his career in karting at the age of 8 and rose through the ranks to sign up with the prestigious Benetton team as a test driver for the 1994 F1 season, then finally as a regular driver to replace the Finnish JJ Lehto, who was injured during the winter tests. Within this team dedicated to Michael Schumacher, the man already nicknamed ‘Jos the Boss’ by his fans finished on the podium twice (Hungary and Belgium), though these performances were deemed insufficient by his employer. He then moved to more modest teams (Simtek, Footwork, Tyrrell, Stewart, Arrows, Minardi) before rebounding in endurance racing, where he notably secured a class win (LMP2) at the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours. Most notably, he now dedicates a large part of his life to nurturing and managing the career of his son Max, with the success we know.
In addition to Jos Verstappen, several renowned drivers are on the entry list, which will be announced shortly:
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