Verstappen Guilty of Assault but Walks Free

Dutch Formula One driver Jos Verstappen was found guilty of assault by a Belgian court on Monday, but received a five-year suspended sentence after reaching an out-of-court settlement with the victim.

"Verstappen was found guilty of fracturing the victim's skull," assistant public prosecutor Cedric Stuyck told Reuters by telephone.

Under Belgian law, a defendant who has reached a financial settlement with a victim can receive a lighter sentence, he said.

Stuyck would not provide details of the settlement agreed to in the Verstappen case.

Verstappen, 28, will escape a custodial sentence if he stays out of trouble for the next five years. The assault charge carried a possible maximum sentence of five years in jail.

Stuyck said the public prosecutor's office was happy with the guilty verdict handed down but would "examine whether we're happy with the sentence".

Verstappen was not present in court. His father, who was also involved in the incident, received the same sentence.

The charges went back to an incident at a karting track in the Belgian town of Lanaken, near Tongeren, in May 1998.

The Verstappens and a group of friends became involved in a fracas with another group of people who wanted to use the track.

After a fight, a 45-year-old man was left with a fractured skull.

"A settlement was reached between the parties before the case even got to court," Stuyck said.

Verstappen finished 12th in this year's Formula One World Championship, with five points.