Nürburgring Circuit Review

The site of the current circuit was originally known as the Nordschleife and was a whopping 14-mile long circuit. Made up of 2 circuits: the Nordschleife and the Sudschleife, the circuit boasted a total of 172 corners, so much so that drivers simply could not ever remember their racing lines.

In the 1970s, concerns over the track’s safety eventually prompted moves to have the track excluded from hosting future rounds. Niki Lauda’s frightening accident where he sustained serious burns in 1976 played a significant part in the withdrawal of Nürburgring’s license to host Formula One events. 

As a result of this, the Nürburgring underwent a major facelift. To “officiate” the revised circuit, a race featuring some of the best Formula One drivers, including Niki Lauda, in Mercedes 190Es was organised. Its return was further boosted when a young rookie Brazilian won that race.. his name was Ayrton Senna. 

With a new and much safer look, Nürburgring was re-entered in the calendar, hosting the 1984 European Grand Prix. However, Nürburgring’s return was shortlived as the track disappeared once again from the calendar in 1985 after citing suffering financial and commercial complications. 

It would take the rise of another young rookie, this time a German from a nearby town by the name of Michael Schumacher to bring Nürburgring back into the world of Formula One in 1995. It has since 1998 been home to the European Grand Prix. 

Though arguably less challenging as its original circuit, there is an air of reminiscence and history in the atmosphere. Visitors can even visit the old track to have a first-hand experience of what was once the most feared and respected circuit. 

Located in the Eifel region of Germany, the circuit is approximately 60 kilometers North-west of Koblenz and 90 kilometers South-west of Koln. The track is easy to get to, with good road conditions to and from major international airports of Koln/Bonn and Dusseldorf Rhein Ruhr.  

The BMW Sauber F1 Team on the British Grand Prix:

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"The only F1 race of the year in Germany is something we are looking forward to greatly. Of course, there are no more points on offer at our home race than anywhere else. However, we have a very close connection with the Nürburgring. Every forthcoming BMW production car is tested on the Nordschleife and the brand has celebrated some majestic touring car victories in the Eifel mountains. Plus, it has a Driver Training centre and its BMW Lounge at the track and runs the Nordschleife ‘Ring Taxi’. In April 2007 Nick drove a modern F1 car on the Nordschleife – the first time that had been done in 31 years – in front of tens of thousands of spectators. It was a unique experience and we are aiming to give our fans something to celebrate again this year.”

Willy Rampf, Head of Engineering:
“The characteristics of the Nürburgring track mean the cars have a tendency to understeer here. The critical question is therefore: how to set the car up to stop it pushing over the front wheels? That can be resolved by achieving the right aero balance, combined with mechanical modifications to the set-up. The large number of slow and medium-speed corners require a healthy dose of downforce. The track offers good levels of grip, which allows us to run soft tyre compounds.”

Nick Heidfeld:
"The Nürburgring is my motor racing home. It isn’t far from Mönchengladbach, where I was born and grew up, and I have some great childhood memories of the Ring. It was where I learnt to ride a bike, where I went tobogganing in the winter and where I first sat in a kart – with thick cushions up against my back so that I could reach the pedals. In later years I was able to win various races on the track. In 2005 I took my first Formula One pole position there and finished second in the race. In 2007 I drove an F1 car on the Nordschleife. The 2007 GP was dominated by typical Eifel weather conditions and collisions. In the end I finished sixth.”


PAST WINNERS:

Year	Driver	Year	Driver
2006	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	2000	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
2005	F. Alonso (Renault)	1999	J. Herbert (Stewart)
2004	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	1998	M. Hakkinen (McLaren)
2003	R. Schumacher (Williams)	1997	J. Villeneuve (Williams)
2002	R. Barrichello (Ferrari)	1996	J. Villeneuve (Williams)
2001	M. Schumacher (Ferrari)	1995	M. Schumacher (Benetton)

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