We were so close to outright tragedy here! Wow!
This weekend is the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and a ton of eyes are on the race in 2026 due to Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen competing.
With that being said, while qualifying was happening Thursday, we had a horrifying scene where a driver was forced out of his car due to it being on fire. And not just that, but he was almost blasted by another driver in the process. It was an incredibly close call. (RELATED: Garrick Higgo Penalized 2 Strokes During PGA Championship After Being Late For Tee Time)
In the session, driver Alexander Hardt of Germany had to hop out of his vehicle after catching on fire. From there, he was standing in a gravel trap, attempting to wave down other drivers to warn them that his Porsche 911 was placed on the circuit.
Janina Schall, however, didn’t spot the warning fast enough and absolutely hammered the 911, doing so with her own Porsche.
And here’s what makes it even crazier: She was so close to hitting Hardt in what would have turned this whole thing into a completely different story. And it would’ve been tragic.
WATCH:
Very close call in Q1, but both drivers are okay thankfully. #24hNBR pic.twitter.com/RFDyh5dhat
— Nürburgring (@nuerburgring) May 14, 2026
Hardt’s decision to stand in the gravel trap and wave his arms like a human flag is the most “Nürburgring” thing I’ve ever seen, and the most unnecessarily dangerous. We are talking about a driver who just escaped a fire, standing in a landing zone while GT3 cars scream toward him at triple-digit speeds.
It was gutsy, sure, but it was also a recipe for a catastrophe that would have ended the race weekend before it even started.