Who is Juha Miettinen? Driver dies in Nürburgring race featuring Max Verstappen

A seven-car collision at one of motorsport's most unforgiving circuits has claimed the life of a 66-year-old endurance racing driver, casting a shadow over an event that had drawn the world's attention in part because of a four-time Formula 1 world champion's presence on the grid.

The collision — involving seven vehicles in total — occurred in the early stages of the race at the Klostertal section of the Nordschleife, a notoriously tight stretch of track defined by sharp corners and barriers that leave drivers very little room for error. Miettinen was at the wheel of a BMW 325i, numbered 121, when the incident unfolded on the third lap.

Emergency services arrived at the scene immediately. Miettinen was extracted from his car and taken to the circuit's medical centre, where doctors worked to save him. Their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

In a formal statement, the organisers of the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring confirmed the circumstances: "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 remaining six drivers involved in the crash were transferred to the medical centre and local hospitals for precautionary evaluations. None were reported to be in a life-threatening condition.

The Nürburgring Nordschleife — stretching nearly 13 miles through densely wooded German hills, with more than 150 corners and barriers frequently positioned close to the racing line — is widely regarded as the most demanding and dangerous permanent circuit in the world. Formula 1 abandoned it after 1976, the year that then-reigning champion Niki Lauda suffered severe burns in a crash there. Its continued use for endurance and club racing is a testament both to its unique character and to the risks that drivers consciously accept when they take to it.

As a mark of respect for Miettinen, a minute's silence was announced ahead of Sunday's grid formation. The racing community — drivers, officials and spectators alike — was left to absorb the weight of what had occurred on one of the sport's most celebrated stretches of tarmac.

That Miettinen was still racing competitively at 66, behind the wheel of a BMW 325i in one of the world's toughest endurance formats, speaks to the depth of his commitment to the sport. He was, in the truest sense, someone who raced because he loved it — not for headlines or sponsorship, but for the circuit itself.

His death is a reminder that for all its romance and spectacle, motorsport at this level carries genuine, irreducible risk.

Following the fatal incident, Verstappen took to social media to offer his condolences. "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," he wrote on Instagram. "Sending my heartfelt condolences to Juha's family and loved ones."

That tradition will continue. Sunday's race went ahead, preceded by a moment of collective silence. But the circumstances of this particular weekend will not quickly be forgotten — not by those who were there, and not by those who follow the sport from afar.

Miettinen is survived by his family, to whom the racing world has extended its sympathies.