Race Car Driver Juha Miettinen, 66, Dies in 7-Car Crash, F1 Champion Max Verstappen Says He Is 'Shocked' by Tragedy
Verstappen said incidents like this remind him "how dangerous" racing can be
Max Verstappen; Juha Miettinen NEED TO KNOW Race car driver Juha Miettinen, 66, died after a seven-car crash during a qualifying race at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit on Saturday, April 18 The Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie said emergency crews responded immediately, but Miettinen died from his injuries at the track’s medical center Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen paid tribute to the late driver, expressing his shock over the tragedy and sending condolences to Miettinen’s family Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen posted a tribute to race car driver Juha Miettinen, who died at the age of 66 following a seven-car pile-up during a race in Germany. The tragedy occurred during a qualifying endurance race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit on Saturday, April 18, according to a statement shared on Instagram by the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), the German endurance racing championship. NLS stated that “a serious accident involving seven competitors occurred in the early stages of the race,” adding that “race control immediately halted the race to allow for extensive recovery and rescue operations.
” Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany Credit: Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty They added that emergency services immediately attended to Miettinen, who ultimately died as a result of his injuries at the track’s on-site medical center. NLS further said that the six other drivers involved in the crash were given precautionary medical exams, though none sustained life-threatening injuries. “The thoughts of everyone involved in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring are with the bereaved family of Juha Miettinen,” they added.
Juha Miettinen Credit: Instagram The remainder of the race was canceled in the wake of the tragedy, and a moment of silence was planned for Miettinen at the track the following day, per the statement. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Four-time F1 champion Verstappen, 28, who is set to race in the 24-hour championship in May, shared a tribute to Miettinen on his Instagram Stories on Saturday.
"Shocked by what's happened today," he began his post, which featured white letters on a black background. Max Verstappen's Instagram Stories post about Juha Miettinen's death Credit: maxverstappen1/Instagram "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,” Verstappen added.