Incredible crash: BMW M6 GT3 smashes through crash barrier and hits grandstand

Marlon Birdsall will be able to celebrate his second birthday on 25 October. The 19-year-old up-and-coming racing driver – who holds four nationalities (Chinese, Swiss, Dutch and British) – was involved in a serious crash in the early stages of the final round of the Supercar Challenge powered by Hankook at the MotoGP circuit in Assen.

Following a brake failure, Birdsall crashed heavily in his Koopman Racing BMW M6 GT3 at the TT Circuit Assen. In the process, Birdsall broke through the crash barrier at the first corner and struck a section of the grandstand with his BMW racing car. The young driver was able to walk away unharmed from his completely wrecked BMW M6 GT3.

The motorsport world is fortunate that the V-Max Final Races by American Sunday in Assen is a relatively low-attendance event and there were no spectators in that section of the track. Had it been a better-attended event, the crash could have ended in a disaster involving fans!

Video footage of the incredible crash:

Due to the massive damage to the track, the race was red-flagged around five minutes after the crash and was not resumed. The Belcar Skylimit Sprint Cup race scheduled to follow could not take place either.

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

Thomas Kuttruf

Read More