Driver Juha Miettinen was killed in a multi-vehicle collision during the Nürburgring Langstäcken Serie (NLS) race on Saturday.
The race was red-flagged and eventually stopped due to a seven-car collision.
The event in Germany has received even more coverage considering the involvement of Max Verstappen.
The four-time F1 champion paid tribute to Miettinen on social media after the race.
“We are shocked by what happened today. Motorsport is something we all love but times like this remind us how dangerous it can be,” he said.
“My deepest condolences to Juha’s family and loved ones.”
In a statement, it was confirmed that Miettinen passed away at a medical center while six other competitors were undergoing tests.
“During the first race of the ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours Qualifying (April 18, 2026), a serious accident involving seven competitors occurred early in the race. After several vehicles collided, race control immediately halted the race to allow for a large-scale recovery and rescue operation,” said a statement from the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring 24 Hours.
“Despite the immediate arrival of emergency services, they were unable to extricate the entangled driver Juha Miettinen (BMW 325i, number 121) from the vehicle and all resuscitation attempts proved unsuccessful and the driver died at the medical centre.”
“The other six drivers involved were taken to a medical center and a nearby hospital for precautionary tests. None of the injuries were life-threatening.”
The statement added that racing would not resume on Saturday evening and said a minute’s silence would be observed in Miettinen’s memory during grid formation for Sunday’s race.
