Very little remains of the fearsome old Nürburgring that made the history of Formula 1, other than its name.
The 22.81 km and 173 corners
that made up the Nordschleife, where the drivers made all the difference, has
given way to a “modern” track comprising short but important stretches, broken
up by chicanes or slow corners. To win on this track, which is still fast and
very enjoyable to drive, you need a very well balanced car with a chassis able
to support the driver’s style. The track’s asphalt may be very smooth, but it
follows a very bumpy route, which makes driving a lot of fun and very
challenging. The brakes don’t have to work hard along the ups and downs of the
Ring, but the tyres need to withstand heavy loads. Indeed, the track is famous
for its understeer. Its challenging points include the new “Mercedes Arena”
which replaced the Castrol Esse and offers many opportunities for passing on
entry.
The Dunlop hairpin also
requires great care on entry and, above all, on exit. Although there are few
places to pass - the last one being the Veedol chicane, the German track often
hosts hard-fought and very entertaining races.
