Nurburgring F1 Circuit: The Eifel Grand Prix is set to replace Hockenheim Grand Prix this season, as FIA updated the list.
Formula One has added three more races to the F1 2020 calendar, taking the tally to 13 so far. Out of all, fans are most excited about F1 making a return to Nurburgring after a gap of 7 years. Here’s all you need to know about the iconic German race track.
One track, multiple Grands Prix…
The Nurburgring is located in the heart of the Eifel mountains, close to the city of Cologne. The mountains have got a nod with the race this year given the moniker of the Eifel Grand Prix.
But Nurburgring has been known as the German, Luxembourg, and even the European Grand Prix in the past. This speaks highly about Nurburgring’s significance in F1’s fabled history.
The track was completed in 1927, highlighting German’s resilience after the World War in the last decade. It has been a tough track to race in, with Sir Jackie famously calling it the “Green Hell”.
Then came the horrific Niki Lauda incident in 1976 where he somehow managed to drag himself out of his Ferrari. This prompted calls for the track to be revamped to make it safe for competitive driving. As a result, the new, modern track which we see now was built in the year 1984. This ushered a new era for the Nurburgring racing circuit in F1, now known as Strecke. The track is 5.148 kms in length, and comprises of 16 turns. Michael Schumacher has the race lap record of 1:29.468 minutes, set in 2004.
Also read: All you need to know about the Mugello circuit in Italy
Formula One races at Nurburgring F1 Circuit
The first race was known as the 1984 European Grand Prix, and the one in 1985 the German Grand Prix. It then went off the calendar for eight years, before making a return in 1995.
Michael Schumacher had won his first title in 1994, which led to calls for the German track to mark a return. The races in 1995 and 1996 were known as the European GP; the ones in 1997 and 1998 as the Luxembourg GP.
Since then, until 2007, the track kept the moniker of the European Grand Prix. But with FIA proposing that year that Hockenheim and Nurburgring be alternated, the races were held only in 2009, 2011, and 2013, now known as the German GP. It is now making a return in F1 after a gap of seven years, with the Eifel Grand Prix.
In the recent past, the iconic track has seen Mark Webber’s first F1 race victory, and an epic battle for the world title between Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.
The 2020 Grosser Preis der Eifel, or the Eifel Grand Prix, will be held on October 9-11. The last time Nurburgring hosted Formula One, homeboy Sebastian Vettel took the chequered flag in his Red Bull. The Tifosi would be hoping for something similar this time around.
