A terrible car accident involving multiple cars took place in the qualifiers for the 24 hours of Nürburgring, the Endurance race in Germany which is scheduled to take place between May 16-17, 2026. 66-year-old Finnish driver Juha Miettinen passed away in the collision, after being taken to the hospital where doctors were unable to save his life.
The accident happened after 25 minutes after the first race started, on Saturday, April 18. Six other drivers suffered injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals, none with life-threatening conditions, according to the race bulletin.
The crash took place before the Caracciola-Karussell, one of the most challenging parts of the Nordschleife circuit, a nearly 180 degrees banked turn. 70 professional drivers have lost their lives at the Nordschleife-Nürburgring track since the 1920s, Miettinen was the first since Wolf Silvester in 2013, and the second to die during the 24 Hours of Nürburgring or qualifiers since Christian Peruzzi in 2001.
Last weekend's accident took place in the qualifier for the 24 hours of Nürburgring, which will take place next month. Nearly 500 drivers and over 100 cars prepared for what is considered one of the most demanding car races in the world. F1 Champion Max Verstappen is scheduled to participate this year as he plans for a post-F1 career, but wasn't racing when the accident happened.