A devastating incident unfolded at the Nurburgring on Saturday evening when a serious multi-car crash led to the death of racing driver Juha Miettinen. The 66-year-old lost his life after a seven-car collision occurred less than 30 minutes into the NLS4 event, which began at 4:30pm UK time. The race, part of the ADAC 24h Nurburgring qualifiers, also featured Red Bull Formula 1 star Max Verstappen.
The crash happened at Klostertal, a tight hairpin bend just before the famous Karussell corner on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Despite rapid response from medical teams and emergency services, Miettinen could not be revived. He was pronounced dead at the track’s medical centre after resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
Race control issued a statement just over two hours after the incident, confirming the fatal outcome. The race was immediately red-flagged and halted to allow recovery and rescue operations to take place.
The statement read: “During the first race of the ADAC 24h Nurburgring qualifiers, a serious accident involving seven competitors occurred in the early stages of the race. Following the collision involving several vehicles, race control immediately halted the race to allow for extensive recovery and rescue operations. Despite the immediate arrival of emergency services, the paramedics were unable to save the driver involved. Juha Miettinen, driving the BMW 235i #121, died in the medical centre after all attempts at resuscitation proved unsuccessful.”
Six other drivers were caught up in the collision. All were taken to the medical centre or nearby hospitals for precautionary checks, but officials confirmed none of them sustained life-threatening injuries.
Following the tragedy, race control announced that Saturday’s race would not resume. There were also concerns about Sunday’s qualifying session due to damage sustained by the track barriers. Organizers confirmed that a minute’s silence would be held in Miettinen’s memory during the grid formation for Sunday’s race at 12pm UK time.
“The thoughts of everyone involved in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring are with the bereaved family of Juha Miettinen,” the statement added.
The cars involved in the crash were: No. 27 PROsport Aston Martin (SP 9), No. 111 JS Competition BMW 325i, No. 121 Keeevin BMW 235i, No. 410 rent2Drive Porsche Cayman (V6), No. 448 Porsche Cayman (V5), No. 503 GITI TIRE BMW 330i, and No. 992 Manthey (SP-Pro). Bjorn Griesemann, driver of the No. 992 Manthey car, was reported unharmed by his team.
Max Verstappen, who was participating in the event away from Formula 1 after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April, was not on track when the crash occurred. His Mercedes teammate Lucas Auer had started the race from ninth on the grid, following a three-place penalty received in qualifying.
The incident cast a somber shadow over the weekend’s racing at the iconic German circuit. The Nurburgring, known for its challenging layout and rich motorsport history, has seen moments of triumph and tragedy. Saturday’s events were a stark reminder of the risks drivers face, even with modern safety standards and rapid medical intervention.
For the motorsport community, the loss of Juha Miettinen is deeply felt. Tributes are expected to continue as drivers, teams, and fans reflect on a life lost doing what he loved. The planned minute’s silence will serve as a collective moment of respect for a competitor whose passion for racing took him to one of the world’s most demanding tracks.
