Jos Verstappen grabs Belgium’s Rallye de Wallonie Victory as heartbreak halts Cedric Cherain’s Porsche charge

The 42nd edition of the Rallye de Wallonie delivered all the drama, heartbreak, and high-speed action the Belgian Rally Championship is known for—but this time, it came with a twist no one saw coming. In a weekend where Porsche made a spectacular rallying debut and Cédric Cherain seemed poised for a flag-to-flag victory, it was Jos Verstappen who emerged victorious after a brutal twist of fate.

The one that got away

Cédric Cherain was the story of the weekend. Behind the wheel of the freshly homologated Porsche 992 GT3 Rally, the reigning Belgian champion led from the opening stage, setting an electrifying pace in a car that had never before competed in the Kroon-Oil BRC. With brutal acceleration and impressive agility, the Porsche looked set to rewrite the pecking order.

But with just two stages to go, the dream unravelled on the Naninne dirt. As Cherain tackled a rough section, a bump triggered an electronic failure that brought the Porsche to a standstill. “The engine stalled, and I just couldn’t get it going again,” said a dejected Cherain. “After a few tries it restarted by itself. We suspect it was a shock-related electronic glitch. Incredibly sad—but I’m proud of what we showed. This Porsche has huge potential.”

Cherain would finish fifth, but in the eyes of many, he was the moral winner of the rally.

Verstappen capitalises

With the Porsche sidelined, Jos Verstappen did what champions do—seized the moment. The Dutchman pushed relentlessly all weekend in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 and swept to his third win of the 2024 BRC season. “It’s a pity for Cédric—he was just that little bit faster,” Verstappen admitted. “We had no answer for the Porsche’s speed from 100 to 200 km/h. But we kept the pressure on and were ready to pounce.”

That pounce may well have paved the road toward a Belgian title. With three victories already and only six results counting towards the final tally, Verstappen now holds a commanding position in the championship chase.

Photo finish for second

While Verstappen and Cherain hogged the headlines, the battle for the runner-up spot turned into a war of milliseconds. Vincent Verschueren, Adrian Fernémont, Niels Reynvoet, and local hero Bastien Rouard traded seconds all rally long in a breathtaking fight.

In the end, it was Adrian Fernémont who snatched second place, edging Verschueren by just 0.1 seconds thanks to a blistering final-day charge in his Skoda Fabia RS. “We struggled early on with the setup on bumpy stages,” Fernémont said. “But after some changes, I felt much more confident and really attacked on Sunday.”

Verschueren was left frustrated. “I lost at least 2 to 3 seconds behind Cherain when his Porsche restarted in Naninne. That cost me second place—no doubt about it. But I loved the fight with Adrian and the fast, flowing stages. Wallonia remains one of my favourites.”

Niels Reynvoet brought his Hyundai home in fourth after making mid-event setup gains, while Rouard—hampered by a poor tyre choice on Saturday morning—had to settle for sixth despite a valiant recovery effort.

Further down the order

Tom Rensonnet brought his Renault Clio Rally2 to seventh, despite pop-off valve issues sapping power in the latter half of the rally. Thibaud Mazuin finished eighth after battling two punctures, while rally legend Patrick Snijers took ninth and second in the RGT category following a spirited drive. Rounding out the top ten was Nicola Stampaert, still learning the ropes in only his second Rally of Wallonia start.

Stars of the future

In the Junior BRC and Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Belux, the rising stars brought their own fireworks. Lander Depotter claimed double honours after Nard Ippen crashed out on Sunday. Lukas Thiele and Corentin Fiasse completed the Stellantis podium, with Fiasse also earning second in the Junior standings. Lény Cols was the class of the BRC Trophy field, while in Historic, Thomas Carlier was untouchable.

The 2025 Rallye de Wallonie was a tale of what could have been. Cédric Cherain and Porsche stunned the rally world, but cruel fate intervened. Jos Verstappen did what every rally driver must—be fast, be consistent, and be ready when opportunity knocks. He leaves Namur not just with a trophy, but with one hand already on the championship.

Overall Rallye de Wallonie Results

01: J. Verstappen/R. Jamoul (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 1h 46m 50.9s
02: A. Fernemont/E. Borguet (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 1m 06.8s
03: V. Verschueren/J. Vermeulen (Citroën C3 Rally2) + 1m 06.9s
04: N. Reynvoet/K. D’alleine (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 1m 12.2s
05: C. Cherain/D. Withers (Porsche 992 Rally GT) + 1m 20.6s
06: B. Rouard/F. Poncelet (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 1m 25.2s
07: T. Rensonnet/J. Jalet (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 2m 57.3s
08: T. Mazuin/S. Maillen (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 3m 59.3s
09: P. Snijers/D. Thierie (Porsche 997 GT3) + 4m 57.0s
10: N. Stampaert/C. Doublet (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 5m 16.9s

See the event’s full results here.