The accident occurred after 25 minutes of qualifying for the ADAC 24-hour race, during the first race of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on April 18, 2026, according to race officials. This race was part of the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers before the Nurburgring 24 Hours scheduled for May 14-17, multiple reports indicate. A multi-car crash occurred during the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on Saturday, according to multiple reports. The crash involved seven vehicles, creating a massive pileup that brought the session to an abrupt halt.
Race control immediately halted the race after the collision, according to a statement from the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring. Rescue personnel arrived quickly but could not save Miettinen's life, race management stated. Emergency medics were unable to save Juha Miettinen after extraction; he died at the Medical Centre after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts, according to the statement. Race control confirmed that several injured drivers are being attended to after a massive crash at the Nordschleife during the 24 Hours of Nurburgring Qualifiers Race 1. Rescue operations for several injured drivers are in full swing almost an hour after the red flag, according to officials.
I am shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at the Nürburgring. My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Juha Miettinen.
Juha Miettinen was a 66-year-old veteran Finnish racer and mentor to younger drivers at the Nürburgring. He drove a BMW 325i and called himself an amateur driver on his Instagram account, where he had posted before the race expressing excitement for the qualifying schedule, according to his social media. Miettinen had 56 starts and five wins at Nürburgring since 2018, according to Driver Database. He was driving a BMW 325i, car #121, at the time of the crash, multiple reports indicate. The crash claimed the life of veteran amateur racer Juha Miettinen, according to research sources.
The accident occurred on the section of Nürburgring called Nordschleife, known as a very demanding and accident-prone track. The Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit is over 20 kilometers long, built in the 1920s, and known as 'the Green Hell' by Jackie Stewart, according to multiple reports. The Nordschleife circuit is dangerous with high curbs, barriers close to the track, and blind crests, not following modern safety regulations, according to Siri Hökfält. The crash happened at Klostertal, a fast corner before the hairpin that leads to the Karussell, according to research sources, though there is disagreement about whether the incident took place at the Karussell itself.
I was very lucky to survive the crash.
This fatality is the first during a racing event on Nordschleife since 2013 when Wolf Silvester died. The track hadn't had a fatal racing accident involving a driver death since 2013, when Wolf Silvester was killed, according to research sources. The Nurburgring Nordschliefe is a dangerous track, with the most famous incident being Niki Lauda's crash in 1976, research indicates. Seventy drivers have died in races at the track since 1928, according to research sources, highlighting the circuit's long history of danger.
Six other drivers were injured in the crash, with none sustaining life-threatening injuries. Swedish driver Siri Hökfält, aged 20, was among the injured, multiple reports indicate. Siri Hökfält was hospitalized but had no fractures, with soreness and two neck vertebrae slightly misaligned, according to multiple reports. She was airlifted to a hospital and remains under observation, according to Per Hökfelt. Siri Hökfält obtained her license to race at the Nürburgring earlier this spring, and this was her fourth race weekend there, multiple reports state.
I braked at about 180 km/h but the pedal went to the floor, I slid into a tire barrier, and then other cars hit me.
One injured driver was airlifted from the track, with one driver taken to hospital by helicopter with pain in his back and neck, according to RacingNews365. Six other drivers were taken to the Medical Centre and nearby hospitals for precautionary examinations, with none in life-threatening condition, according to the statement from the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring. The drivers of cars #27 and #992 are believed to be okay, with the former bruised from the crash, according to RacingNews365. The exact condition of all injured drivers remains unclear as reports vary on details like airlifts and specific injuries.
The race did not resume on Saturday evening out of respect for Miettinen, according to organizers. The qualifying race in which Miettinen died was stopped and did not resume, with one more qualifier scheduled for April 19, research indicates. The race has been suspended, and the broadcast has gone off air, with unclear resumption plans, according to research sources. Multiple engineers at the Nurburgring have little expectation for racing to resume this evening, according to RacingNews365.
Oil on the track contributed to the crash, and officials did not have time to warn about it.
A minute of silence was planned for Sunday to honor Miettinen, organizers stated. The race would not resume on Saturday evening, and a minute's silence would be held in memory of Miettinen during Sunday's grid formation, according to the statement from the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring. Whether the race will resume on Sunday or be canceled entirely remains unclear beyond the planned tribute. The future of the race weekend and investigation details have not been confirmed.
The series has drawn attention due to Max Verstappen's participation, who won a lower-level race in March 2026 but had a victory taken away for using too many tire sets, according to research sources. Formula 1 star Max Verstappen was scheduled to participate later in qualifying but did not get the opportunity because the race was canceled, an official stated. Max Verstappen was participating in the event but not on track during the crash, multiple reports indicate. According to Max Verstappen's social media post, he expressed shock and sadness over the accident, with thoughts for Miettinen's family.
I have never considered quitting racing despite the accident.
The cause of the accident is unclear, according to officials. A massive seven-car pileup possibly caused by spilled oil on the track occurred at the Nürburgring, research sources indicate. According to Sportbladet, Siri Hökfält described oil on the track contributing to the crash, and officials did not have time to warn about it. According to Sportbladet, Siri Hökfält described braking at high speed but the pedal going to the floor, sliding into a tire barrier, and then other cars hitting her. If there were any mechanical failures or driver errors involved in the crash, beyond the reported oil on the track, remains unknown.
According to Sportbladet, Siri Hökfält described being very lucky to survive the crash. According to Sportbladet, Siri Hökfält described never considering quitting racing despite the accident. The total number of injured drivers has been specified as six others by some sources, though others report several without a precise count. The investigation into the exact circumstances of the crash continues as the racing community mourns the loss of a respected veteran driver.