Since 1927 the old Nurburgring was used as a race track, but nicknames like Kesselchen or Fuchsroehre belong in the past. The old Grand Prix course was 22.83 km long. In 1976 the new Nurburgring opened for Formula 1 racing fans from all over the world and fearless drivers are chasing each other around the historic circuit. The circuit is located in the east of Cologne in direct proximity of the old course. The curve named Nordschleife is feared by the drivers for being like a labyrinth and many accidents occurred there over the years.
The new Grand Prix track opened its doors in 1982, but only after two years the first Grand Prix race was held there. In 1985 there was held the last Grand Prix in Germany until today. Until today there were hold a total of 25 Grand Prix at Nurburgring in Germany, 12 Grand Prix of Europe and 2 Grand Prix of Luxembourg. One lap of the Nurburgring race track measures 5.148 km.
Fast and slow corners are mixed in the modern circuit. Before and after staring point the course offers the best opportunities for overtaking, but is fundamentally difficult to do it. Therefore a clever pit stop strategy is vital for winning the race. The Nurburgring challenges the drivers in many different ways and only by having great driving skills and being able to plan ahead one can win on the course.
The most successful drivers on Nurburgring are Michael Schumacher, who won five times, and Jackie Steward, who won three times. The most successful teams on the track are Ferrari, which won fourteen times, and Brabham, which did it four times, as well as Mc Laren, which also won the race four times. Juan Pablo Montoya from the Williams team still holds the record of the fastest race lap.
The Nurburgring is still very popular amongst the Formula 1 fans because of its tradition and the exciting race, which are caused by the easily changing Eifel weather. Therefore the locals are looking forward to every race cheering for their favorites. Since the track is 60 km away from the nearest big town, there is not much else to do in the area.
