A Spanish goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, currently on loan at Como from Chelsea, emerged unscathed after his Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo slammed into a barrier at the Nürburgring. Could a routine test turn deadly?
The Sun reports the incident unfolded on Monday around 14:00, when Sánchez’s car hit a Nordschleife safety barrier at over 112 km/h. The Ferrari’s front was virtually shredded, yet the player walked away fine and exited the vehicle on his own. In my view, the circuit’s safety protocols were the decisive factor.
Sánchez enjoyed a day off on Monday, not being called up by Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente, and chose to experience the famed track like countless fans, whether in a private hire or rental car, at the Nürburgring.
The Nordschleife is the legendary 20‑plus‑kilometre layout of the Nürburgring complex near Nürburg in Germany’s Eifel region.
That setting makes the episode even more striking. The Nürburgring, famed and feared worldwide, was the stage of Niki Lauda’s fiery 1976 German Grand Prix crash, where his Ferrari ignited and the Austrian driver suffered burns to his head and hands.
Images of that tragedy remain etched in fans’ memories, cementing the circuit’s reputation for danger. This time, however, the outcome was vastly different. Will Sánchez’s brush with disaster change how players approach track days?