UPDATE ON JOS' CONDITION: Jos told us ...

Published on 27 August 1996 by Verstappen Info Page

UPDATE ON JOS' CONDITION: Jos told us today that his condition is improving. He still has a stiff neck, which he can hardly turn, so at this moment he is in no condition to drive. At the end of this week he will go from Belgium, where he now resides, to Marseille, France, for a treatment from the Arrows team physiotherapist, mr. Dominique Sappia. Jos thinks that he will be able to drive again at the next Grand Prix in Monza.

The exact cause of the accident is still not clear though it is sure that it is caused by a problem with the car. After the accident two people of the Arrows team have inspected the site of the accident and had found only 3 tyre tracks instead of 4 which might indicate a broken wheel suspension. It seems that one of the trackrods of the rear wheel suspension has broken off, which might then be similar to the accident at the Hungaroring. To feel absolutely safe in his car Jos wants the Arrows team to go to the bottom of this case. If there is a problem with the wheel suspension then this part of the car has to be reinforced says Jos.

Jos told us furthermore that the accident happened at a speed of 240 Km/h, when a part of the wheel suspension broke, and the car just went straight into the railing causing a 9 G impact. Telemetry readouts indicate that Jos didn't make any sudden steering movements and (as stated before) the G-force indicator went from 3 G to a half G which means that the car suddenly went almost straight on. After the blow Jos felt very dizzy and had no memory of all that had happened until one and a half hour later. Jos thinks that the new HEIGHTened sides of the car have prevented that the accident had a much worse ending.