A Finnish racing driver has died following a serious multi-car crash during a qualifying race at the Nürburgring circuit in western Germany on Saturday. Juha Miettinen, 66, was pronounced dead at the circuit's medical centre after resuscitation efforts proved unsuccessful following his rescue from the wreckage. Six other drivers were injured in the incident, though none are in a life-threatening condition.
The crash, involving seven cars in total, occurred in the opening phase of a four-hour race at the Klostertal section of the legendary Nordschleife — a stretch of the circuit known as one of its fastest passages. The Nordschleife, or "North Loop," is a 20-kilometre historic track renowned for its technical complexity and danger, forming the centrepiece of the annual 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance race. Video footage from inside a competing Porsche showed a large group of cars being pushed off the track simultaneously, landing on top of each other in a gravel trap. The race was red-flagged after roughly half an hour and was not resumed. The event's live stream was also halted.
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was entered in the race but was not involved in the crash. His teammate Lucas Auer, an Austrian driver, was at the wheel of their Mercedes-AMG at the time of the incident. Verstappen had been scheduled to take over the car for the second half of the race but did not get the opportunity to do so.
Verstappen has been using this weekend's qualifying races — the first of two such events serving as a general rehearsal for the full 24-hour race in May — to build experience on the Nordschleife ahead of that main event. His schedule was freed up after the Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia, originally planned for this weekend, was cancelled. The second qualifying race on Sunday is still set to go ahead, with Verstappen expected to participate. A minute of silence in memory of Miettinen will be held before the start.
The accident underscores the enduring risks of racing on the Nordschleife, a circuit with a demanding safety profile that has claimed lives throughout its long history. Race officials are expected to investigate the circumstances of the crash as organisers and teams prepare to continue the weekend programme.