Nürburgring

The Nürburgring is a whole of road racing sets and motorcylcist located at 90 km in the south of Cologne in Germany. By Nürburgring, one indicates several circuits indeed. Most known are the Nordschleife (or Northern Boucle ), mythical circuit of more than 20 kilometers, high place of automobile GP of Germany until the middle of the years 1970, as well as the modern layout which accommodates GP of Europe.

History

It is in the middle of the years 1920 that the German authorities decide creation of a very new circuit, intended to accommodate the automobile competitions most prestigious, but also to make it possible to the car manufacturers to test their last productions under the most extreme conditions. Contrary to the mode which consists in designing circuits of a few kilometers, the instigators of the project direct themselves towards the design of a gigantic track of 28,265 km, traced in the middle of the solid mass of the Eiffel, near the castle of the Nürburg. Alternating fast and sinuous portions, blind turns and vertiginous reliefs, the layout completed in spring 1927 holds more than the one special one of rally that of a traditional circuit. The circuit of 28,265 km can be borrowed in its totality, but also be divided into two distinct portions: the Nordschleife (22,810 km) and the Südschleife (7,747 km), which divide in particular the straight line of the stands.

The complete circuit will actually be used only until 1929. Quickly, the minor tests are confined with the Südschleife , while the most prestigious tests (of which the GP of Germany) borrow terrifying it Nordschleife , which is not long in building the reputation of the most selective track and most dangerous of the world. During the years 1930, the Nordschleife will be thus the theater of the duels at the top opposing German and Italian auto industries. Then, with leaving the Second world war, the Nordschleife of Nürburgring finds the Grand Prix, from now on organized within the framework of the championship of the world of Formula 1. As well as the GP Monaco, the GP of Germany will be thus one of the most prestigious appointments of the year, being offered only to the largest pilots.

Gradually, the Nordschleife however will show the weight of the years. Mentalities evolve/move and so much the pilots whom the spectators less and less regard as an end in itself makes it commit suicide in competition. Under the impulse in particular of Jackie Stewart, the sedentary claims of the pilots are born. In 1970, Nürburgring is even boycotted by the pilots, obliging the organizers of the GP of Germany to move their test on the layout of Hockenheim. After some installations, Nürburgring remakes its appearance with the championship of the world of Formula 1 in 1971, but remains in deferment taking into account the ceaseless evolution of the standards of safety imposed by the pilots and the International Sporting Commission (CSI). In 1976, the world champion Niki Lauda is victim of a serious accident there. He owes the life saves only with the courage of his pilot comrades who plunge in the blazing inferno to help it. The GP of Germany will not return any more on the Nordschleife .

Contrary to an generally accepted idea, the accident of Lauda is however not the cause of the disappearance of the Nordschleife of the calendar of the championship of the world. Actually, the circuit had not obtained the prolongation of its homologation by the CSI beyond 1976, and before-even the crash landing of Lauda, it thus was expected that the edition 1976 is the last to be held on this layout, become completely anachronistic because of the evolution of the performances of the cars, of the safety requirements, but also of the media requirements (difficulty of retransmettre on television under best the conditions a test disputed on a layout of more than 20 km).

Legendary the Nordschleife is not therefore abandoned. After the desertion from Formula 1 as from 1976, it continues to accommodate during a few years the 1.000 km of Nürburgring, test headlight of the championship of the world of Endurance, until the construction of the new circuit. In 1983, on its prototype Porsche 956, the young German wonder Stefan Bellof thus established what remains today the fastest turn of the history of the Nordschleife , with a stopwatch of 6 ' 11.130.

Today, the only test important to still dispute on the Nordschleife are famous the 24 hours of Nürburgring, an extremely popular race, kind of giant village fair, where mix cars of all types (powerful WP to the most modest private cars) as well as pilots of all levels, energy of the champion confirmed with the amateur of Sunday. These cars, these pilots and this public also find themselves all the year on the Nordschleife for the championship VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft, which proceeds completely on this circuit. Apart from the official competitions, the Nordschleife is also opened with the public, which with the help of finance, can offer some feelings fortes.
In 2007, and for the first time since 1976, F1 rolled on Nordschleife, Nick Heidfeld producing two turns of demonstration at the wheel of its BMW Sauber.

With the beginning of the year 1980, it is decided to build near the Nürburgring old man a new circuit, adapted to modern F1. This layout accommodated the Grand Prix of Europe in 1984, 1995 and 1996 then of 1999 with 2007, the Grand Prix of Germany in 1985 and the Grand Prix of Luxembourg in 1997 and 1998. Subject to agreement with AvD as for use of title GP of Germany (fault whose the test 2007 preserved the title of GP of Europe), Nürburgring should again accommodate the GP of Germany as from 2009.

The modern layout also accommodates multiple international events including 1.000 Kilometers of Nürburgring within the framework of the Mans Series.

Prize list

Victorious of the Grand Prix disputed on the layouts of Nürburgring

Note: The GP of Germany 1960 was reserved for the single-seaters of Formule 2.

Coordinates geographical

Latitude: 50°19' 47.27" NR
Longitude: 6°56' 6.70" E

See too

For the winners of the 1.000 km of Nürburgring to see the article on the 1.000 kilometers of Nürburgring.
alphabetical List of the circuits of Formula 1

External bonds

Official site of the circuit of Nürburgring
Seen satellite of the circuit on WikiMapia

Random links: