The 24 Hours of Nürburgring Qualifiers Race 1 was stopped by a red flag at 17:55 local time after a heavy multi-car incident at the Caracciola-Karussell. An ambulance was seen on the circuit before cars were sent back to the pit lane.
Race control later said an accident involving several vehicles had taken place, with seven cars involved and at least one going underneath the barriers. More than 30 cars, believed to be 32, were trapped on circuit behind the crash and had to return to the pit lane by driving against the flow of the track.
One driver was taken to hospital by helicopter with pain in his back and neck. The drivers of cars #27 and #992 were believed to be okay, and the driver of car #27 was bruised in the crash.
The stoppage came during the 24 Hours of Nürburgring Qualifiers Race 1 at the Nurburgring, where repairs were expected to take a considerable amount of time. There was little expectation that racing would resume that evening.
Max Verstappen had not yet been behind the wheel of the #3 Mercedes when the race was stopped. Lucas Auer had taken the start in the car and completed the stint at the Nordschleife, leaving the team waiting while the circuit was cleared and assessed.
The crash left the event in limbo, with the immediate question not whether the race had been interrupted, but how quickly the damaged section of the track could be made safe enough for anything to continue.