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Nürburgring: 7 facts about the legendary race track
It is one of the oldest and most famous racetracks in the world: the legendary Nürburgring in the Eifel. We deliver the 7 exciting facts about the ring.
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There are racetracks whose name really everyone knows. Le Mans, for example, Spa or the venerable Nürburgring in the Eifel. We give you 7 exciting facts about the Nürburgring that you should know.
The most famous and best racetracks in the world
01
Formula 1 at the Nurburgring
Fastest lap and place for Max Verstappen in Germany
© Red Bull Content Pool / Getty Images
Grand Prix' at the Nürburgring have a long tradition in Formula 1. As early as 1951, the premier class made a guest appearance in the Eifel for the first time - Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari won the first F1 race on the 22.810 km long Nordschleife.
Until 1976, the Grand Prix of Germany or Europe was held on the cult race track. Since 1984, the field of drivers has competed on the Grand Prix circuit, which has been repeatedly remodeled over the years.
There were no Formula 1 races at the Nürburgring between 1986 and 1994 and between 2014 and 2019. The premier class last made a guest appearance on the Ring in 2020 for the Eifel Grand Prix. To this day, it should be the last Formula 1 guest appearance in Germany.
Red Bull Formula Nürburgring brings F1 cars back to the ring
Red Bull Formula Nurburgring
© Red Bull
On September 9th, 2023 we will bring the Formula 1 cars back to the legendary Nordschleife:
A top-class motorsport event awaits you at Red Bull Formula Nürburgring. Look forward to legends of the sport on two and four wheels, unique show runs and stars to touch.
02
Already inaugurated in 1927
Germany needed its own race track. Kaiser Wilhelm II came to this realization at the beginning of the 20th century.
However, it was not until around 1925 that the ADAC gave serious thought to building a race track that was independent of the public road network but would reflect its characteristics.
However, it was important to Otto Creutz, chairman of the Automobile Club at the time, that the route could also be used as a test track for vehicles and should combine as many of the characteristics of country roads in Europe as possible.
On September 27, 1925, the foundation stone for the Nürburgring was finally laid. Around two years later, on June 18, 1927, the course was inaugurated with the Eifel race for motorcycles.
A day later, the first automobile race took place on the Ring, which Rudolf Caracciola won - his name now bears the most iconic corner of the circuit.
The long road to the top: In our film 'Unfiltered: Horner and Newey', the two masterminds talk about how they brought Red Bull to the top of Formula 1.
48 min
Unfiltered: Horner and Newey
Christian Horner and Adrian Newey took Red Bull to the very top. Go behind the steadfast F1 alliance.
03
Up to 28.3 km in length
F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart gave the Nordschleife its nickname
© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
The total distance of the Nürburgring is incredible 28.3 kilometers. The longest part of it is taken up by the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, which was originally 22.8 kilometers long.
The original version included a total of 154 corners and was given the nickname "Green Hell" by F1 legend Jackie Stewart after his victory in 1968.
In long-distance races, above all the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring, a combination of Nordschleife and Grand Prix track is still used today: The track length is 25.378 km.
The current length of the Nürburgring GP circuit is exactly 5.148 kilometres, which puts it in the lower half of the classic circuits on the racing calendar.
04
Four grand prizes – one place…
The Nürburgring celebrated its return to Formula 1 in 2020 with the first ever Eifel Grand Prix, named after the mountain range in which the track is located.
It was the fourth name for the F1 race in the history of the Nürburgring:
- The circuit hosted the German Grand Prix 26 times (1951-1954, 1956-1958, 1961-1976, 1985, 2009 and 2013)
- The Grand Prix of Europe was held here 12 times (1984, 1995-1996, 1999-2007)
- 2 times the Nürburgring was home to the Luxembourg Grand Prix (1997 and 1998)
On the other side of the country: around 500 kilometers east of the Nürburgring, Formula 1 legend David Coulthard invites you to a very special sightseeing tour through Leipzig for the 'Red Bull Racing Road Trips'. Emil Forsberg takes a seat next to DC in the Red Bull Racing F1 2-Seater.
3 min
Coulthard and Forsberg hit Leipzig in F1 2-seater
David Coulthard takes RB Leipzig soccer player, Emil Forsberg, on a (very) fast-paced trip through the city.
05
There's a roller coaster
Not many tracks have access to a roller coaster — Suzuka has one at neighboring Mobilityland, Yas Marina has one at nearby Ferrari World on Yas Island, and Sochi has one at the theme park, which is adjacent to Olympic Park, but none of these runs alongside the straight of one of the racetracks. Strictly speaking, that's not the case at the Nürburgring either, but at least that's how it used to be.
In the early 2000s, the operators of the Nürburgring wanted to get the most out of the track and planned a €215 million motorsport theme park with hotels, apartments, a shopping mall, a 15,000 square meter park area with bars, restaurants, nightclubs and the fastest roller coaster in the world World.
The so-called "Ring Racer" reached a speed of 217 km/h in just 2.5 seconds, making it faster than a Formula 1 car. At the start, the visitors were exposed to a G-force of 3.4g. However, the project developed from a rocket launch to a false launch. For one thing, the finances sank so deep into the red that one of those responsible even had to go to prison. Second, the "Ring Racer" didn't work the way it was supposed to.
In 2009, a series of explosions in the launch system caused some injuries and ruptured windows, delaying the coaster's opening by several years. In 2013 the time had come and it ran, but was switched off again at the end of the season. The following year it was announced that it would no longer be in operation. Yet they still exist.
06
Many events and racing series
Heiße Rennaction am Nürburgring gibt's im Rallycross.
© @World / Red Bull Content Pool
The Nürburgring is the venue for many different events and racing series. In addition to the 24-hour race and Formula 1, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the DTM are also guests at the Ring.
But that's not all: Drift racing, for example in the Nürburgring Drift Cup, or rallycross events also have a long tradition in the Eifel. The highlights of the round from the FIA World Rallycross Championship 2022 show, for example, that things are also heating up:
8 min
Best finals action – Germany
See what happened in Rounds 10/11 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship 2022 at the Nürburgring, Germany.
07
Where did the Nürburgring get its name from?
The ring owes its name, unsurprisingly, to the Nürburg. It stands at the top of the second highest hill in the Eifel (at around 676 meters above sea level) and dates from the 12th century (it was first mentioned in 1166). Count Ulrich von Are is considered the original builder.
Over the next three centuries the castle was continually expanded, while in the early 16th century it was almost falling into disrepair. The invading armies from southern Europe, the Netherlands, Sweden and France contributed significantly to this with their looting.
The Nürburg is located within the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring and can be seen from many places while driving.
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