German driver dies after car plunges into ravine during Mallorca 550 rally
A German driver died and his German co-driver was seriously injured on Friday when their car fell into a ravine on the Ma-10 at Mortitx, in Escorca. Organisers have permanently cancelled the sixth edition of the Rally 550 Challenge Mallorca.
The crash
A German driver died on Friday, 9 October, after the Porsche he was driving left the road and plunged into a ravine on the Ma-10 at kilometre 10, near Mortitx in the municipality of Escorca. Reports differ on his age, with some giving 63 and others 59. The car, a white Porsche GT3 RS built in 2023, was the opening car of the competition, carrying bib number 000. Its role was to run the stages ahead of the competitors, so it was not racing for the general classification. The Guardia Civil put the time of the accident at around 13:00 on the stretch between Pollença and Lluc. The co-driver, a 39-year-old German woman, suffered spinal cord injuries. The official entry list had the car registered under the names Rader and Ettel.
Rescue and investigation
Firefighters from Mallorca had to descend into the ravine to reach the vehicle and rescue the co-driver, with crews sent from the Inca and Alcúdia stations. She received medical assistance before being evacuated to the Son Espases University Hospital, where she was admitted because of the severity of her injuries. A judicial team was called to remove the driver's body. The Judicial Police of the Guardia Civil in Inca opened an investigation into the circumstances of the crash, and its causes are still unknown.
Organisers suspend the rally
The sixth edition of the Rally 550 Challenge Mallorca had been scheduled for 8 to 10 October on roads across the island. Organisers announced its permanent suspension after learning of the driver's death, which cancels all pending timed stages and related activities. In a statement, the organisers said:
This is a painful but firm and irrevocable decision, taken with the deepest respect for circumstances of this gravity.
The organisers also wrote that motorsport was setting competition aside to make way for respect and for standing with those in grief.
Government reaction
Jaume Bauzá, the conseller of Tourism, Culture and Sports in the Govern, wrote on X on Friday afternoon that he felt "consternado" by the news of the fatal accident. He addressed his condolences to the family and friends of the driver and wished the injured co-driver a recovery.
We want to express our condolences to the family and friends of the driver and all our support to the motorsport family at this very difficult time, as well as our wishes for a recovery for the injured co-driver.
