Upgrade for free today
You have only 5 articles remaining to view this month.
The FIA GT World Cup qualifying race at Macau was suspended after a huge pile-up on the opening lap of the race.
In total, 16 cars were caught up in the collision at Police bend – one of the tightest parts of the 3.8-mile circuit – after fourth-place runner Daniel Juncadella hit the wall on the exit of the corner.
The pursuing Raffaele Marciello was able to squeeze past the crashed Mercedes, but defending GT World Cup winner Laurens Vanthoor was unsighted and could not avoid Juncadella’s car.
Vanthoor hit the right-rear corner of the Mercedes and, with the road block, the following snake of cars piled into one another.
Lucas di Grassi’s Audi R8 LMS ended up with its rear suspended above a BMW after he was hit from behind.
The race was immediately red flagged, with cranes at the right-hander quickly beginning a clear-up job.
“I couldn’t see him [Juncadella] at first,” said Vanthoor. “Then I saw the car standing still.
“I tried to brake but it was just understeering and I couldn’t do anything. There’s room for one car there and you’re blind.”
Officials announced the race would be restarted at 1320 local time (0520 GMT).
Maro Engel had earlier taken the lead on the long run to Lisboa at the start of the race.
Juncadella brushed against the barrier through the Reservoir kink at the start as he attempted to go around the outside of team-mate Edoardo Mortara for the lead, but their squabble allowed Engel to steal a march on the pair on the approach to the Mandarin kink.
Engel will head the field on the restart from Mortara, Augusto Farfus and Marciello.
Audi’s Robin Frijns, Darryl O’Young (Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R), Chaz Mostert and Hiroki Yoshimoto were also listed in the restart order.
The remaining race time has been extended to 25 minutes.