Ambulance on track triggers red flag in Max Verstappen race at Nurburgring

The 24 Hours of Nürburgring Qualifiers Race 1 has been interrupted by a sudden red flag, with an ambulance spotted on the circuit.

It was not immediately clear what the reason behind the unexpected development was, but cars returned to the pit lane.

It soon became apparent that a heavy incident involving multiple competitors had occurred at the Caracciola-Karussell, with the track blocked.

Over 30 — believed to be 32 — cars were stuck on circuit behind the incident, but have now returned to the pit lane after travelling back against the flow of the track.

Almost twenty minutes after the red flag came out at 17:55 local time, race control confirmed an "accident involving several vehicles" had taken place.

Seven cars were party to the accident, with at least one going underneath the barriers. It is not yet known when the race will restart, but repairs are expected to take a considerable amount of time.

Injured drivers, as confirmed by race control, are being attended to. Further information, including the latest update from race control, can be found [HERE].

RacingNews365 understands that one driver has been taken to hospital by helicopter with pain in his back and neck.

The drivers of cars #27 and #992 are believed to be okay, with the former bruised from the crash. A full list of the cars involved is below.

Max Verstappen has not yet been behind the wheel of the #3 Mercedes, with team-mate Lucas Auer taking the start, and completing the stint of running at the Nordschleife.

The race has been suspended for now, and the broadcast has temporarily gone off air. It is unclear if and when the race may resume. You can follow along to the action live [HERE].

RacingNews365 spoke with multiple engineers at the Nurburgring, and there is little expectation for racing to get back underway this evening.

UPDATE: A press conference has been called for 20:00 local time.