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.

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.

It appears that at least seven cars were party to the accident, with 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.

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.

You can follow along to the action live [HERE].