Chelsea loanee Robert Sanchez walks away unscathed after 70mph Ferrari crash at Nürburgring

Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez escaped without injury after losing control of his £300,000 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo at the Nürburgring circuit in western Germany, crashing into the barriers at approximately 70mph. The Spaniard, currently on loan at Serie A side Como, was on holiday when the incident occurred at the track’s notorious Caracciola-Karussell corner.

Sanchez was approaching the banked corner — a sweeping bend that extends beyond 180 degrees — when he lost control and veered into the barriers, leaving the front of the car heavily damaged. The circuit was immediately red-flagged, and the Ferrari had to be recovered by a vehicle. Sanchez stepped out of the wreckage unharmed.

A British holidaymaker who witnessed the crash told The Sun: “He was going way too fast on the turn, travelling up to 70 miles per hour. He slammed into the corner and the track immediately got red-flagged. He clearly had put too much gas on and drove straight into the barrier. The front of his Ferrari was completely demolished and parts were sprayed all over the track.”

The witness added that several hundred spectators saw the incident unfold. “Sanchez escaped unharmed. He came out the car immediately after like nothing had happened and started picking up the broken pieces. It was the talk of the town for the day.”

Members of the public are permitted to drive on the Nürburgring by paying a toll, which classifies the circuit as an unrestricted toll road and allows it to operate outside standard motorsport regulations. The track is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous circuits in the world and was the site of Niki Lauda’s near-fatal crash during the 1976 German Grand Prix. It last hosted a Formula 1 race weekend in 2020, a one-off return after sporadic appearances on the F1 calendar between 1951 and 2013.

On the pitch, Sanchez has had a difficult start to his loan spell under manager Cesc Fàbregas at Como, making only three Serie A appearances in nine possible matches for the Italian club.