Detailed Nürburgring map showing both the ''Nordschleife'' and the new GP section.
The 'Nürburgring', known as simply "'the Ring'" by enthusiasts, is the name of a famous
motorsport race track in
Nürburg,
Germany, built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of
Nürburg in the
Eifel mountains, which is about 70 kilometres south of
Cologne and 100 kilometres northwest of
Mainz.
Originally, the track featured four track configurations: the 28.265 km long ''Gesamtstrecke'' ("Combined Loop"), which in turn consisted of the 22.810 km ''Nordschleife'' ("Northern Loop"), and the 7.747 km ''Südschleife'' ("Southern Loop"). There also was a 2.281 km warm-up loop called ''Betonschleife'', around
pits area.
Between
1982 and
1983 the start-finish area was demolished to create a new ''GP-Strecke'', and this is currently used for all major and international racing events.
However, the Nordschleife is still in use;
nicknamed ''The Green Hell'' by
Jackie Stewart, it is widely considered the toughest and most demanding purpose-built race track in the world.
1927–1939: "Nürburg-Ring"
In the early 1920s, races called
ADAC Eifelrennen were held on public roads in the Eifel mountains. This soon was considered impractical and dangerous. In order to provide work and lure tourists into the area, the construction of a dedicated race track was proposed, following the examples of
Italy's
Monza and
Berlin's
AVUS, yet with a completely different character. The layout of the circuit in the mountains was similar to the
Targa Florio, one of the most important motor races at that time. The original Nürburgring was meant to be a showcase for German automotive engineering and racing talent, and was built with both purposes in mind. Construction of the track, designed by the ''Eichler Architekturbüro'' from
Ravensburg (led by Architect Gustav Eichler), began in September 1925.
The track was completed in spring of 1927, and the
ADAC Eifelrennen races were continued there. The first
World Cycling Championship race took place on
1927-06-19, and the first
German Grand Prix a month later. In addition, the track was opened to the public in the evenings and at weekends, as a one-way toll road.
The Gesamtstrecke consisted of 174 bends (prior to 1971 changes), and was 8 to 9 metres in width on average.
In 1939 the full Ring was used for the last time in major racing events, as future Grands Prix would be held only on the Nordschleife. Motorcycles and minor races mainly used the shorter and safer Südschleife. Many memorable pre-war races took place at the circuit, featuring the talents of early ''Ringmeister'' (Ringmasters) such as
Rudolf Caracciola,
Tazio Nuvolari and
Bernd Rosemeyer.
1947–1970: The Green Hell
'Nürburgring' circuit map, taken at German Grand Prix 1964; the legend advises "No driving in the Eifel (mountains) without a lap of the Nürburgring"
After
World War II, racing recommenced in the 1950s and the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring again became the main venue for the
German Grand Prix as part of the
Formula One World Championship (with the exception of 1959 when it was held on the
AVUS in
Berlin). A new group of ''Ringmeister''s arose to dominate the race -
Alberto Ascari,
Juan Manuel Fangio,
Stirling Moss,
Jim Clark,
John Surtees,
Jackie Stewart and
Jacky Ickx.
On August 5, 1961, during practice for the 1961 German Grand Prix, Phil Hill became the first person to complete a lap of the Nordschleife in under 9 minutes, with a stunning lap of 8m 55.2s (153.4 km/h ((95.3mph)) in the
Ferrari 156 "Sharknose" Formula 1 car. Even 40 years later, the highest performing road cars have difficulty breaking 8 minutes without a professional racing driver or one very familiarized with the track.
Also, several rounds of the
German motorcycle Grand Prix were held, mostly on the 7.7 km "Südschleife", but the
Hockenheimring and
Solituderennen were the main sites for
Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
In 1953, the ADAC
1000km Nürburgring race was introduced, an
Endurance race and
Sports car racing event that counted towards the
World Sportscar Championship for decades. The
24 Hours Nürburgring for
touring car racing was added in 1970.
By the late 1960s, the Nordschleife and many other tracks were becoming increasingly dangerous for the latest generation of F1 cars. In 1967, a
chicane was added before the start/finish straight, called ''Hohenrain'', in order to reduce speeds at the pit lane entry. In 1970, after the fatal crash of
Piers Courage at
Zandvoort, the F1 drivers decided at the
French Grand Prix to boycott the Ring unless major changes were made, like they did at
Spa the year before. The changes were not possible on short notice, and the German GP was moved to the
Hockenheimring which already had been modified.
1971–1983: Changes
Tower of the Nürburg castle
According to the demands of the F1 drivers, the Nordschleife was reconstructed by taking out some bumps and installing
Armco safety barriers. The track was also made straighter, following the race line, which reduced the official number of corners. The German GP could be hosted at the Ring again, for another 3 years from 1971 to 1973. Safety was improved again later on, e.g. by removing the jumps on the long main straight and widening it. A second series of 3 more F1 races were held until 1976, but even higher demands by the F1 drivers and the FIA's CSI commission were too expensive or impossible to meet. So the 1976 race was deemed the last ever, even before it was held.
Primarily due to its extraordinary length of over 22 kilometres, and the lack of space due to its situation on the sides of the mountains, the Ring was unable to meet the ever-increasing safety requirements, and was also unsuitable for the burgeoning television market.
Niki Lauda, the reigning world champion and only person ever to lap the full 22835 m Nordschleife in under 7 minutes (6:58.6, ''1975''), proposed to the other drivers that the circuit should be boycotted in 1976 because of the safety arrangements. The other drivers voted against the idea and the race went ahead. Coincidentally, it was Lauda who crashed in his Ferrari, probably due to failure of the rear suspension. As his car was still loaded with fuel in lap 2, he was badly burned, being saved by the combined actions of fellow drivers
Arturo Merzario,
Guy Edwards,
Brett Lunger and
Harald Ertl rather than by the ill equipped track marshals. Also, the crash proved that the distances were rather long for regular fire engines and ambulances, even though the "
ONS-Staffel" was equipped with a
Porsche 911 rescue car, marked (R). For Formula One, this crash marked the end of the old Nürburgring. It never hosted another F1 race again as the
German Grand Prix was moved to the
Hockenheimring for 1977.
In 1980, the
German motorcycle Grand Prix was held for the last time on the old Ring, moving also permanently to Hockenheim. A year later, in 1981, work began on a 4.5 km (2.8 miles) long new circuit which was built on and around the old pits area. At the same time, a bypass shortened the Nordschleife to 20,832 m (12.947 mi.), and with an additional small pit lane, this version was used for races in 1983, e.g. the
1000km Nürburgring endurance race, while construction work was going on nearby. In training for that race, the late
Stefan Bellof set the all-time lap record for the 20.8 km Nordschleife in his
Porsche 956, which is still unbeaten at 6:11.13, or over 200 km/h in average - partially due to the fact that no major racing has taken place there since 1984.
The former Südschleife had not been modified in 1970/71 and was abandoned a few years later in favour of the improved Nordschleife. It is now mostly gone (in part due to the construction of the new circuit) or converted to a normal public road, but since 2005 a vintage car event is hosted on the old track layout, including some road of the parking area.
[1]
1984: The new Grand Prix track
The new Nürburgring was completed in 1984 and called ''GP-Strecke''. It was built to meet the highest safety standards, but was considered in character a mere shadow of its older sibling. Some fans, who had to sit much further away from the track, called it ''Eifelring'', ''Ersatzring'', ''Green Party Ring'' or similar, believing it did not deserve to be called Nürburgring.
To celebrate its opening, an exhibition race was held, on May 12th, featuring an array of notable drivers. Driving identical
Mercedes 190E 2.3-16, the line-up was
Jack Brabham,
Phil Hill,
Dennis Hulme,
James Hunt,
Jacques Laffite,
Niki Lauda,
Carlos Reutemann,
Keke Rosberg,
Jody Scheckter,
Manfred Schurti,
Ayrton Senna and
John Watson. Senna won ahead of Lauda, Reutemann, Rosberg, Watson, Hulme and Jody Scheckter
[ Senna - Porsche 956K - Nurburgring ] [ Rallye Racing June 1984, , , , Rallye Racing, , ].
Besides other major international events, it has seen the brief return of
Formula One to the 'Ring, as the
1984 European Grand Prix was held at the track, followed by the
1985 German Grand Prix; the only time thus far that the "new" Nürburgring has hosted its country's race. As F1 did not stay, other events were the highlights at new the Ring,
1000km Nürburgring,
DTM, motorcycles, and rather new type of events, like
Truck Racing,
Vintage car racing at the
AvD "Oldtimer Grand Prix", and even the "
Rock am Ring" concerts.
Following the success and first world championship of
Michael Schumacher, a second German F1 race was held at the Ring between 1995 and 2006, called the
European Grand Prix or, in 1997 and 1998, the
Luxembourg Grand Prix.
For 2002, the track was changed, by replacing the former "Castrol-chicane" at the end of the start/finish straight by a sharp righthander (nicknamed "
Haug-Hook"), in order to create an overtaking opportunity. Also, a slow Omega-shaped section was inserted, on the site of the former kart track. This extended the GP track from 4500m to 5200m, while at the same time, the Hockenheimring was shortened from 6800m to 4500m.
In recent years, both the Ring and the
Hockenheimring events have been losing money due to high and rising license fees charged by
Bernie Ecclestone and low attendance due to high ticket prices; starting with the 2007 Formula 1 season, Hockenheim and Nürburgring will alternate for hosting of the German GP.
The Ring has, however, kept its association with the tragic. Despite the high standards, a few single-seater drivers were paralysed or killed in freak accidents. In F1,
Ralf Schumacher hit his brother in 1997, which may have cost Michael the championship. In 1999, in changing conditions,
Johnny Herbert managed to score the only win for the team of former Ringmeister
Jackie Stewart. One of the highlights of the 2005 season was
Kimi Räikkönen's spectacular exit, while in the last lap of the race, when his suspension gave way after being rattled lap after lap by a flat-spotted tyre that was not changed due to the short lived one set of tyres rule.
Prior to the 2007 European Grand Prix, the ''Audi S'' (bends 8 and 9) was renamed ''Schumacher S'' after
Michael Schumacher.
Notable fatal accidents
★ 1928:
Cenek Junek, first fatal racing accident
★ 1954:
Onofre Marimón, first F1 driver to have a fatal accident at the Ring
★ 1958:
Peter Collins, F1
★ 1964:
Carel Godin de Beaufort, F1
★ 1966:
John Taylor, F1
★ 1969:
Gerhard Mitter, F2
There are a few deaths and major accidents each year, most of which are during public sessions, although generally accidents on racetracks are rare and not to be expected.
Nordschleife racing today
Several touring car series are still competing on the Nordschleife, using either only the simple 20.8 km version with its separate small pit lane, or a combined 24.4km long track that uses a part of the modern F1 track plus its huge pit facilities. Entry level of competition is a regularity test (
GLP) for road legal cars. Two racing series (
RCN/CHC and
VLN) compete on 15 Saturdays each year, for several hours.
The annual highlight is the
24 Hours Nürburgring weekend, held usually in mid-June, featuring 220 cars (from small 100hp cars to 700hp Turbo
Porsche or 500hp factory race cars of
BMW,
Opel,
Audi,
Mercedes-Benz), over 700 drivers (amateurs and professionals) and up to 220,000 spectators.
Several magazines, manufacturers etc. publish their
Nordschleife fastest lap times achieved with "production" cars when the track is closed to the public.
BMW Sauber’s
Nick Heidfeld made history on 28 April 2007 as the first driver in over 30 years to tackle the Nürburgring Nordschleife track in a recent Formula One car. Heidfeld’s 3 demonstration laps round the German circuit in an F1.06 were the highlight of festivities celebrating BMW’s contribution to motorsport. About 45,000 spectators showed up for the main event, the 3rd 4 hour
VLN race of the season, and the subsequent show by Heidfeld. Former F1 driver
Hans-Joachim Stuck was injured during the race when he crashed his
BMW Z4.
Nordschleife public access
Nordschleife is often open to the public.
The Nordschleife has remained a one-way, public toll-road for nearly 80 years except when it is closed off for testing purposes, training lessons or racing events. Since its opening in 1927, the track has been used by the public for the so-called "Touristenfahrten", i.e. to anyone with a road legal car or motorcycle, as well as tour buses, motor homes or cars with trailers. It is opened mainly on Sundays, but also on many Saturdays and weekday evenings. During the winter months, depending on weather conditions and maintenance work, the track may be closed for weeks.
During Touristenfahrten sessions, German road law (StVO) applies despite a common misconception assuming it is derestricted like in races. There is no general speed limit, however speed limits exist in certain areas in order to reduce noise and risks. As on public roads, passing on the right is prohibited, and the police take an extremely dim view of poor driving as they prosecute offenders with the aid of helicopters.
The cost for driving a single lap of the Nordschleife is 19 Euro for each car or motorcycle. Tickets for multiple laps are also available, up to a season ticket for 895 Euro (as of 2007).
This Nürburgring version is a popular attraction for many driving and riding enthusiasts from all over the world, partly because of its history and the considerable challenge it still provides. The lack of oncoming traffic and intersections sets it apart from regular roads, and the absence of a blanket speed limit makes it an additional attraction mainly for foreigners.
Normal ticket buyers on these tourist days cannot quite complete a full lap of the 20.8 km (13 miles) Nordschleife, which is bypassing the modern ''GP-Strecke'', as they are required to slow down and pass through a 200 metre "pit lane" section where the toll gates are installed. Since 2006, season ticket holders only can pass mobile toll gates on the track itself, in order to reduce the length of queues at the fixed barriers.
Drivers interested in lap times (a dangerous thing to worry about, as running stop watches are frequently found in crashed vehicles) often time themselves from the first bridge after the barriers to the last gantry before the exit. Accidents are common, though, and those considering driving around the Nordschleife should read
the rules that apply, as well as the "do's" and "don'ts". The 'ring has caught many people out. There is very little run-off and the armco barrier will be hit at almost any speed, should a vehicle leave the tarmac.
Drivers who do crash have a responsibility of warning following vehicles that there has been an incident. They should not try to continue driving as spilled fluids are a hazard to others, especially bikes, and it might be regarded as an attempt to escape the hefty bill for an armco repair. The 'Ring, although being to all intents and purposes a race track when used for racing, still remains a public road when opened to the public, and it is policed as such. Anyone caught or reported as driving dangerously can be fined or banned by the authorities. The costs can also be prohibitive with vehicle recovery, track closure penalties and armco repairs putting some unfortunates up to 15,000 Euros
out-of-pocket.
Commercial aspects
Because of its demanding layout, the Nordschleife is used by many auto manufacturers as a proving ground for car prototypes. Some of the most notable corporate "Ring Rats" are BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Nissan, Lexus and starting in 2002,
General Motors. GM's first wave of Nürburgring-honed vehicles includes the
Cadillac CTS-V and the sixth-generation
Chevrolet Corvette. Nissan's Japanese domestic market supercar, the
Skyline GT-R, was tuned at Nürburgring (Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nür) and held the unofficial lap record for road legal cars for some time. The race version entered by Falken Tyres did well in
24 Hours Nürburgring, without a chance to win though, but they were among the Top-10 finishers repeatedly.
In recent years, the allure of Nürburgring Nordschleife has spread through its appearance in video games, with the shorter grand prix circuit already gaining large attention especially in
Formula 1 simulations. It all started in 1998 with Sierra's PC-based racing simulation ''
Grand Prix Legends'' featuring the Green Hell and the
1967 Formula One season.
Games for consoles followed:
★
PlayStation 2:
Gran Turismo 4,
Enthusia Professional Racing,
Tourist Trophy
★
Xbox:
Project Gotham Racing 2,
Forza Motorsport
★
Xbox 360:
Project Gotham Racing 3,
Forza Motorsport 2
★
PC:
Grand Prix Legends,
GTR2 - Modded by
GTR4u.de,
rFactor - two versions,
the first modded by Com8/Ghengis99 and
the second modded by raceking/gringosan
Since 1985 the Nürburgring has hosted the "
Rock am Ring", Germany's biggest Rock Festival, attracting close to 100,000 rock fans each year.
Nordschleife Map
Locations of note
Flugplatz ("the airfield")
The Nordschleife was formerly known for its abundance of sharp crests, causing fast moving, firmly sprung racing cars to jump clear off the track surface at many locations. Although by no means the most fearsome, Flugplatz is perhaps the most aptly named and widely remembered.
Chris Irwin's career was ended following a massive accident at Flugplatz, in a
Ford 3L GT sports car.
Bergwerk ("the mine")
Perhaps the most notorious corner on the long circuit, Bergwerk has been responsible for more than its fair share of serious and fatal accidents. A tight righthand corner, coming just after a long, fast section and a lefthand kink on a small crest, where
Carel Godin de Beaufort lost his life. The fast kink was also the scene of
Niki Lauda's infamous fiery accident during the
1976 German Grand Prix.
Peter Collins lost his life in Pflanzgarten.
Karussell ("the carousel")
Although being one of the slower corners on the Nordschleife, Karussell is perhaps its most iconic. One of two
berm-style, banked corners, the entrance to the corner is blind, although
Juan Manuel Fangio is reputed to have advised a young driver to "''aim for the tallest tree''"; a feature that was also built into the rendering of the circuit in the
Gran Turismo 4 video game as well as
Grand Prix Legends. The combination of a recognisable corner, slow moving cars, and the variation in viewing angle as cars rotate around the banking mean that this is one of the circuit's most popular locations for photographers.
See also
★
1000km Nürburgring
★
24 Hours Nürburgring
★
List of Formula One circuits
★
Nordschleife fastest lap times (production cars only)
References
External links
★
Official website (also in English)
★
Ben Lovejoy's Nurburgring Nordschleife Website - The Best For "Ringer's"
★
Nordschleife and other track lap times (production cars only)
★
Video and photo site
★
Onboard video one lap GP track (QT, 6,4 MB)
★
Nürburgring Fan Project
★
Südschleife
★
A description of the racing line
★
24 Hours Nürburgring Race
★
JustGoFaster, satirical site complete with real corner names
★
GLP Regularity test for road cars (German only)
★
CHC Rallye-like racing (German only)
★
VLN Endurance Racing (German only)
★
VLN Endurance Racing (English) coverage & photos
★
A report from 24 Hour race
★
Nürburgring Circuit History and Statistics
★
Nürburgring for Dummies
★
Nürburgring webcam
★
Satellite image from terraserver
★
Satellite image from Google Maps
★
northloop (including forum)
★
Ciro Pabón's Racetracks 3D views and virtual laps of all F1 circuits, including this one, via Google Earth
★
Webcam Log of the Nordschleife entry gate
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