Finnish competitor Juha Miettinen was cut from his car but could not be resuscitated, the event organizers say

Finnish racing driver Juha Miettinen was killed and six others injured in a seven-car crash during the early stages of the Nurburgring qualifiers in Germany on Saturday.

"Despite the immediate arrival of emergency services, the emergency medics were unable to save the driver involved, Juha Miettinen, after he had been extracted from the vehicle," the event organizers said in astatement on X. The 66-year-old Finn "died at the Medical Centre after all attempts at resuscitation proved unsuccessful."

Six other drivers were injured and taken for treatment and are in non-life-threatening condition, they added.

The crash may have been caused by a spill on the track, according to Russian-born Dutch driver Mikhail Charoudin, who took part in the qualifiers.

"Whether it's gasoline, oil, coolant, you name it... One of the cars that had the livestream on, you actually couldn't see it... A lot of cars in front of him lost control," he said, as cited by The Express.

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, who is set to appear at the race, said he was shocked by the accident.

"Motorsport is something we all love, but in times like this it is a reminder of how dangerous it can be," he said on Instagram. "Sending my heartfelt condolences to Juha's family and loved ones."

A minute's silence was held for Miettinen on Sunday ahead of the day's qualifiers.

The qualifiers are part of the buildup to the 24-hour Nurburgring race in May. The event takes place on the Nordschleife circuit, a roughly 25-km (15.5-mile) track with more than 150 corners that runs through wooded hills and is known as a grueling endurance challenge, with weather and visibility often changing during the race.

(RT.com)