Juha Miettinen crash details: Driver passes away following wreck during ADAC 24h Nurburgring Qualifiers
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Juha Miettinen crash details: Driver passes away following wreck during ADAC 24h Nurburgring Qualifiers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Driver Juha Miettinen has passed away following a seven-car crash during the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers on Saturday, April 18, in Germany.
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Miettinen, 66, was racing to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, a 24-hour sports car race. It is held on a 13-mile track through the German hills, and the course reportedly has more than 150 corners and barriers close to the track.
The wreck occurred during the first race of the qualifiers. It brought out a red flag to clear the debris from the track, but then the race was suspended and eventually cancelled. There will be a minute's silence ahead of Sunday's race in Miettinen's honor and memory.
Here is what we know about the fatal wreck that caused Miettinen's death.
Juha Miettinen crash details
The seven-car crash occurred in the first qualifying race on Saturday, April 18.
The race statement read, "During the first race of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers (18 April 2026), a serious accident involving seven competitors occurred in the early stages of the race. Following the collision between several vehicles, race control immediately halted the race to allow for extensive recovery and rescue operations. Despite the immediate arrival of emergency services, the emergency medics were unable to save the driver involved, Juha Miettinen (BMW 325i, #121), after he had been extracted from the vehicle; the driver died at the Medical Centre after all attempts at resuscitation proved unsuccessful."
The other six drivers involved were taken to the Medical Centre as well as nearby hospitals for examinations. None of them are considered to be in a life-threatening condition.
No clear footage of the crash is available. The only video circulating on social media buffers a lot and doesn't show the crash itself, but you can still hear the impact.
The race itself had gained some attention because F1 driver Max Verstappen was set to compete. He had not yet qualified at the time of Miettinen's passing, but he did post his support to his Instagram saying, "Shocked by what happened today. Motorsport is something we all love, but in times like this it is a reminder of how dangerous it can be. Sending my heartfelt condolences to Juha's family and loved ones."
What is Nürburgring 24 Hours?
The Nürburgring 24 Hours is an annual endurance sportscar race. It is held each year in Germany on a massive circuit larger than 25km. The race has been held since 1970, but F1 hasn't raced the course since 1976 when Niki Lauda suffered severe burns in a crash. It is a massive event with up to 190 cars competing and there are annually over 200,000 spectators on hand.
The event itself typically takes place over a weekend in May and this year's race will run from May 14 to 17.