Jos Verstappen back behind the wheel again - Vermeulen: "He has helped me well throughout the year"

Jos Verstappen is racing again! Verstappen will participate in the 24 Hours of Dubai on the weekend of January 13 to 15, 2022. The 49-year-old Verstappen senior will then drive that long-distance race together with his protégé Thierry Vermeulen and two other drivers in a GP Elite-run Porsche GT3. Thierry Vermeulen, the son of Raymond Vermeulen who is Max Verstappen's manager, debuted this season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. The 19-year-old talent is coached by Jos and supported by Michel Perridon, among others.

“The 24 Hours of Dubai will be GP Elite's first endurance race. It's great that we can do this together and that we have our regular people around us there," said Thierry Vermeulen: "And of course, it's also very nice to be able to race together with Jos, after he has helped me well all year.”

The step to the Middle East is a logical one. “Because we were thinking about participating in races in the Middle East and Michel Perridon is currently investing heavily in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it seemed better to him to have the company with which he makes those investments there on the car. So halfway through the season, we put the Perridon Holdings logo on the car and changed the car's color to black with gold.”

According to Thierry Vermeulen , Perridon is ‘more than a sponsor’. “It's truly a collaboration. We pursue the same goal and discuss everything with each other. To have such a relationship with your sponsor is incredibly beautiful.”