Full Extent of Paul’s Injuries Revealed from Norisring Crash

Photo: Maximilian Paul Instagram

The full extent of Maximilian Paul’s injuries have been revealed by Grasser Racing Team following his massive accident in the opening DTM race of the weekend at the Norisring.

The 26-year-old newly minted Lamborghini factory driver was initially reported to have sustained an injury to his left leg after his Lamborghini Temerario GT3 slammed into the driver’ side door of Kelvin van der Linde’s Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

However, team principal Gottfried Grasser confirmed to Motorsport.com that the German driver suffered fractures to both his fibula and tibia as well as a lumbar vertebra fracture.

Paul underwent surgery on Tuesday and now faces a significant road to recovery.

“The accident was a major setback for me,” he said. “I’d like to thank all the rescue workers and the doctors who looked after me so exceptionally well.

“Now it’s time to look ahead. I’m taking a break for the time being to look after my body and my health, and I’ll be back in full force soon.

“I’ll be in hospital for the next few days, after which I’ll be heading to rehab.

“I really appreciate the support of my family, my team, my friends and everyone who’s checking in on me at the moment, and I’ll be consciously focusing on that support and my recovery in the coming weeks.

“I’d like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the many kind words and get-well wishes. They give me strength and keep me going on my road to recovery.”

Grasser confirmed that Paul’s car lost control over an oil spill on the street circuit after another car had been leaking fluid throughout the race.

“Under braking, he then lost control on this fluid,” he said. “Our analysis led us to no other conclusion, as a thorough inspection of the car revealed no technical fault. A

“All of us at TGI Team by GRT wish Max a speedy recovery and hope to see him return to us soon. We know he’s a fighter and will get through this difficult time.”

The accident also sent van der Linde to the hospital, where he spent the night under observation although escaped serious injury.

Van der Linde posted on social media on Wednesday that he was already at Red Bull’s Athlete Performance center in Austria undergoing assessments.

The South African revealed that he hopes to be back in a car “soon again” once “all the bruising” subsides.

“I woke up this morning thankful for life and being able to get away from the worst crash of my career without any serious injury, van der Linde wrote on Sunday.

“Yesterday was a wake up call that we never know whats around the next corner and a reminder to be thankful for every day on earth.

“Thank you to BMW for building a super safe race car, you saved my life. Thanks to everyone that reached out so far, your messages mean so much.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John