Horror Nurburgring 24 Hours crash as car catches fire in scary scenes | F1 | Sport

A horror crash marred the start of the first qualifying session at the Nurburgring 24 Hours. It occurred after the #900 Porsche 911 caught fire and stopped on the Grand Prix section of the track. The qualifying session was just 18 minutes old when Alexander Hardt’s vehicle went up in flames, forcing him to stop at the Xiaomi Corner.

Having got out of his car, Hardt was stood on the side of the track waving at drivers to warn them of the hazard. However, it wasn’t enough to stop #146 Porsche, driven by Janina Schall, from crashing straight into the back of his car. Schall’s car suffered some heavy damage as a result of the collision, with the German driver also coming to an abrupt stop.

Following the crash, both drivers were spotted in deep conversation, but neither appeared injured from the separate incidents. Race officials then confirmed that an investigation into what happened would be conducted. Hardt standing in the gravel trap, as opposed to behind the barriers, was mentioned in the Drivers’ Briefing, and is likely to be looked at.

Several of his Formula One rivals have commented on Verstappen’s side quest, with some even hinting as if they might be jealous. Lando Norris remarked: “It was the most fun I’ve had all year to be honest. It’s a circuit I’ve driven on Gran Turismo and iRacing. It’s one of those tracks that everyone just wants to drive. Whether you’re a racing driver or not it’s just always cool to go and do that because it’s so unique. I felt I was lucky.

“I’ve also been watching all of the onboards. I knew the track by heart already, but I’ve been watching all the GT races that Max has been doing… I’ll be watching maybe not the whole 24 hours, but as much as possible and spotting Max because he’s a guy that I respect a lot. I’ve enjoyed watching him and Christopher Haase racing the last few weeks.”

Meanwhile, George Russell commented: “I did watch Max’s race in the Nordschleife. I’d love to do it, without a doubt. I have driven it before; I’ve driven hundreds of laps on the sim around the Nordschleife. I don’t know when the day will be.

“I did once try having a conversation with Toto about putting the Formula One car around there and breaking the all-time lap record. Right now, I’m focused on trying to win a Formula One world championship and hopefully, when I’ve got four under my belt, I’ll go and race the Nordschleife and during my Formula One season too.”