A sombre shadow has fallen over the ADAC 24 Hours Nürburgring Qualifiers after Finnish driver Juha Miettinen lost his life following a major multi-car collision during Saturday’s opening race. The incident, which involved seven vehicles, brought proceedings to an immediate halt and ultimately led to the cancellation of the race.
Race control confirmed that Miettinen, driving the #121 BMW 325i, succumbed to his injuries at the circuit’s medical centre despite rapid intervention by emergency personnel and prolonged resuscitation efforts.
Official statement from race control
“During today’s first race of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, a serious accident involving seven competitors occurred in the early stages.
Despite the immediate arrival of emergency services, the driver Juha Miettinen (#121 BMW 325i) passed away at the Medical Centre after resuscitation attempts proved unsuccessful.
The race will not resume. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
A minute’s silence will be observed on Sunday before the restart of the weekend programme.
Multi-car incident at Klostertal
The accident occurred on lap three at the exit of Klostertal, a fast right-hander leading into the steep section of the Nordschleife. Early reports suggest a possible fluid spill may have contributed to the loss of control, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
The crash triggered a chain reaction involving seven cars, with the circuit blocked and multiple vehicles stranded across the racing line. In the aftermath, several competitors were escorted back to the pits against the direction of travel under controlled conditions.
Cars involved in the incident
| Car No. | Entrants | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| #27 | Wahl / Rönnefarth / Dumarey / Böckmann | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 |
| #111 | Becker / Spölgen | BMW 325i E90 |
| #121 | Miettinen / Berghult | BMW 325i E90 |
| #410 | Croci / Larbi / Ackermann / Le Bihan | Porsche Cayman GTS |
| #448 | Klinkmüller / Beckwermert | Porsche Cayman CM12 |
| #503 | Tamm / Egger / Hökfelt | Toyota Supra |
| #992 | Griesemann / Adorf / Holzer | Porsche 911 GT3 Cup |
Race abandoned, no classification
At the time of the red flag, the #23 Gamota BMW had been leading, ahead of the #84 Abt Lamborghini and the #11 Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMG. However, due to insufficient race distance completed, officials confirmed that the contest would not be classified.
The remainder of the weekend programme is expected to proceed, with Sunday’s schedule including qualifying from 08:15 to 09:45, followed by a top qualifying shootout between 10:40 and 11:40. The four-hour race is still planned for 13:00 local time.
Widespread tributes
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was among those to express condolences publicly, writing on social media:
“Shocked by what happened today… Motorsport is something we all love, but it reminds us how dangerous it can be. My thoughts are with Juha’s family.”
The motorsport community now turns its attention from competition to reflection, as one of the sport’s most demanding circuits once again underscores its unforgiving nature.