Max Verstappen Shares Heartfelt Condolences After Driver Juha Miettinen's Fatal Crash
Max Verstappen Shares Heartfelt Condolences After Driver Juha Miettinen's Fatal Crash
Arman KhanSun, April 19, 2026 at 6:07 AM UTC
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A motorsport tragedy has cast a shadow over the Nurburgring. Juha Miettinen, an experienced Nordschleife regular, has died following a seven-car incident during the NLS4 race on Saturday, prompting the cancellation of the event.
Max Verstappen was among the competitors in the race, which had been receiving widespread attention due to the four-time Formula 1 world champion’s participation. Following the tragedy, Verstappen took to Instagram to share his condolences.
An ambulance leaves the track during the 2026 ADAC 24h Nurburgring race.Photo by Jack Brekelmans/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“Shocked by what happened today,” Verstappen wrote on his Instagram story. “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 Happened
The race was red-flagged around 25 minutes into the planned four hours. NLS races are very rarely red-flagged for anything other than weather reasons or if there are safety concerns.
That red flag turned into a suspension around an hour later, before a press conference was called at 8 pm local time, three hours after the initial stoppage. It was at that press conference that the full extent of the tragedy became clear.
An official statement released by Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie on Instagram confirmed the death of Miettinen, who was driving a BMW 325i with race number 121. “Despite the immediate arrival of emergency services, the paramedics were unable to save the driver involved, Juha Miettinen; the driver died in the medical centre after all attempts at resuscitation proved unsuccessful,” the statement read.
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“The other six drivers involved were taken to the medical centre and nearby hospitals for precautionary examinations. None of the injured are in a life-threatening condition.
“The race will not resume on Saturday evening. The thoughts of everyone involved in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring are with the bereaved family of Juha Miettinen.”
A Historic Tragedy at the Nordschleife
It is the first driver fatality during a race on the Nordschleife since German Wolf Silvester died during a race in June 2013.
Before the incident brought proceedings to a tragic halt, Verstappen and co-driver Lucas Auer had already faced a difficult weekend. The pair had shown strong pace in qualifying, locking in sixth place, but were handed a three-place grid penalty after Auer was involved in a collision, dropping them to ninth on the grid for the start of NLS4.
The drivers and teams are set to return to action on Sunday for NLS5, the final major Nurburgring race before the Nurburgring 24 Hours on May 16-17. A minute’s silence will be held in memory of Miettinen during the grid formation for Sunday’s race at 13:00.
The thoughts of the motorsport community are with the family and friends of Juha Miettinen.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Sports”
