Formula 1 - Grand Prix of Germany

Hockenheim, Germany

Hockenheimring

The original circuit of Hockenheim was build just before WWII serving as a test circuit for Mercedes. It never really became as important as the competing Nürburgring and hosted mostly smaller races. Though, when government plans stated the construction of a highway through the circuit, Hockenheim was compensated for the loss of their track and was enabled to build a new circuit. With the increasing safety problems of the Nürburgring, Hockenheim gained importance in hosting major races in Germany and after the terrifying accident of Niki Lauda in Nürburg in 1976, Hockenheim became Germany’s preffered choice for the Formula 1 venue.

The circuit of Hockenheim is one of the longest in the championship and is partly placed in a forest and partly in a stadium setting. Especially since the successes of national hero Michael Schumacher, the grandstands in the stadium section are packed with over enthousiastic fans, creating a fantastic atmosphere during the venue. In the tradition of German autobahns, Hockenheim is an extremely fast circuit with long straights . In order to control the speeds during the races, chicanes are placed on the straights. That safety comes first in Germany is not strange, given the notorious past of the Nürburgring.

Hockenheim is located in the a provincial Central-Southern part of Germany, close to Heidelberg and on a considerable distance from the bigger cities. The main international airport in the vicinity is Frankfurt at 90km from the circuit. A bit more remote are the international airports of Cologne and Düsseldorf, from which it’s a two-hour drive.

Circuit Facts
Rounds	67
Circuit Length	4,574 km
Track Record	K. Räikkonen McLaren 2004
Record Lap Time	01:13,780
Race Distance	306,458 km
Address of Circuit	Hockenheimring, Postfach 1106. D-68754, Hockenheim, Germany