L’Osteria founder Klaus Rader has died in a crash during a rally in Mallorca on Friday.
The 63-year-old restaurant entrepreneur and passionate race driver was competing in the 550 Challenge Mallorca when his Porsche GT3 RS left the road on a mountain pass between Pollenҫa and Lluc and plunged into a ravine.
Rader died at the scene, while his Austrian co-driver Christina Ettel suffered severe spinal cord injuries. Firefighters and rescue teams had to descend into the difficult terrain in the Serra de Tramuntana to recover the occupants.
The 550 Challenge Mallorca is a motorsport event held on fully closed roads, spanning three days with 14 timed stages covering more than 550 kilometers.
Rader was competing in the competition class for modern and historic race cars, where drivers push for best times on closed asphalt stages.
A business partner confirmed the accident over the phone to Germany’s Bild newspaper, and L’Osteria later announced Rader’s passing in a statement.
“The sudden accidental death of Klaus Rader deeply shocks us and leaves us speechless. We are infinitely sad and our thoughts are with his entire family,” L’Osteria said in an official statement.
“We ask that the privacy of the family be respected during this difficult time. Klaus was an extraordinary personality, an inspiring entrepreneur, companion and great person who shaped many people at L’Osteria and beyond. We cannot believe that he is no longer with us.”
Following the tragedy on the Pollenҫa-Lluc stage, event organizers immediately canceled the remainder of the rally and all associated activities. The organizing team issued an official statement outlining the decision and expressing their grief.
“This is a painful but firm and irrevocable decision, made with the utmost respect and in recognition of the gravity of the circumstances,” the 550 Challenge Mallorca organizing committee said in a statement.
“At times like these, no result, classification or sporting objective can take precedence over what truly matters. Competition must take a back seat, and respect, humanity and solidarity must prevail above all else.
“The organisers wish to express their deepest sorrow and extend their most sincere condolences to the family and loved ones, offering them our full support and solidarity during this extremely difficult time.
“Today, motorsport steps away from competition to make way for respect, compassion and solidarity in grief. Now more than ever, our thoughts are with the family and friends.”
The exact cause of the crash remains unclear, and Spanish authorities are currently investigating the incident.
Rader co-founded the restaurant chain L’Osteria in 1999 alongside Friedemann Findeis, starting from a single venue in Nuremberg and expanding it into an international enterprise before the duo sold their majority stake to a US investment firm in 2023.
Rader is survived by his wife Viktoria and their four children, following the couple’s second wedding celebration in Mallorca in June 2026.
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