Finnish Driver Dies in Nürburgring Qualifying Crash

A Finnish driver has died following a multi-car collision during the opening stages of a qualifying race for the ADAC 24 Hours of Nürburgring at the Nordschleife circuit in Germany on April 18, 2026. Juha Miettinen, an experienced competitor in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), was piloting the No. 121 BMW 325i when the incident occurred around 25 minutes into the four-hour NLS4 event.

The crash, which involved seven vehicles, took place at the Karussell section of the 20.8-kilometer track. Officials attributed the pileup to a fluid leak from one of the cars, ensnaring the No. 121 BMW, a No. 27 Aston Martin, No. 111 BMW, No. 410 Porsche, No. 448 Porsche, No. 503 Toyota, and No. 992 Porsche. Race control issued a red flag immediately, halting proceedings and directing all remaining cars to the pit lane. Emergency services responded swiftly, with ambulances rushing to the scene for recovery and rescue operations.

Miettinen was transported to the medical center, where paramedics attempted resuscitation but were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The six other drivers involved received precautionary checks at the medical center and nearby...