Back To Page 1

Race Name: German Grand Prix
Circuit Name: Hockenheim
Circuit Length: 4.239miles / 6.829km
Race Length: 67 laps (306.458 Km)
Lap Record: Juan Pablo Montoya 1m14.917s

Takuma Sato's View

"You approach the first corner, the Nordkurve, in sixth gear at 300 km/h and then drop down to fifth gear carrying speeds of around 215 km/h through the corner. Next is a short straight, where your speed increases to up to 300 km/h before you reach turn two the Jim Clark curve. This corner is a slow right-hander where you carry speeds of around 85 km/h at the apex. On exit the corner opens out a little bit and for the Ostkurve, where you shift into third gear and then go flat out down the back sweeper of a 'straight' to turn six, reaching speeds of over 320 km/h. You brake hard and shift down six gears at the end of the straight for the very tight, first gear Ayrton Senna hairpin which you negotiate at about 60 km/h. Good traction is important on exit as you head up to turn seven which you take flat out in sixth gear at 290 km/h. Reaching a speed of maybe 300 km/h, you brake quite hard for turn eight since it is a tight 90-degree left-hander which you take in second gear and at just over 90 km/h. Turn nine is a relatively gentle left-hander after which you build your speed up and move up into third gear, around 200 km/h before turn ten, which is almost flat at around 290 km/h. Next you head into the Agip right-hander that leads back into the stadium. You then approach turn thirteen, the Sachs Curve, in sixth gear at 265 km/h and then move down the gears for this long left-hander to about 100 km/h. After turn thirteen you go flat out through the Elf and Opel corners before dropping down to third gear for turn sixteen. The final corner is approached at 170 km/h and you need a good exit to set you up for the run onto the start/finish straight."

Michael Schumacher's View

"It's unbelievable what we're doing this year but it's just the guys getting their reward for all the work which is done back at the factory. I didn't win last year, but our [F2004] car is good on all types of circuits this season even if I think Hockenheim will be a tough race. But we have a good chance, as ever."

Nick Heidfeld 's View

"I am looking forward to Hockenheim as it is one of my home races, following Silverstone which was almost like a home Grand Prix," Heidfeld said. "The atmosphere at Hockenheim is probably the best in the world especially for the spectators, being in the stadium section. You feel that as a driver too and I hope there will be a lot of supporters for the German drivers, including me. At Silverstone we had a positive test and tried something new on the mechanical side which found us a good margin of lap time so hopefully that will help us in Hockenheim.”

The Track

The German Grand Prix was, along with Monza, the fastest Grand Prix circuit on the calendar. It was also easily the longest (drivers who retire at the far side of the circuit on the first lap used to spend the rest of the race walking back!). The circuit was actually pretty boring to drive as it consists of a series of very long straights linked by chicanes though the drivers find the low downforce setup combined with the twisty stadium section tricky.

At the end of the lap is the stadium section, a series of 1st and 2nd gear corners that provide the only real chance for the less powerful cars to show their mettle and it is this part of the circuit that has survived into this year. This was nowhere near enough to compensate for the rest of the lap so it is often the case that the most powerful car and the latest braking (i.e. bravest) driver will end up fastest — it is no surprise that Gerhard Berger has such an impressive record here (He won here in 94 and 97 and has always done well here).

Surprisingly Schuey has, apart from his win in 95 (which was taken after Hill retired while leading comfortably), always done badly here. In 1999 a horrific blow out on the back straight put Hakkinen out of a comfortable lead resulting in Irvine and Salo taking a comfortable 1-2. Salo gifted the win to Irvine and Irvine ended up giving his winners trophy to the Finn afterwards.

In 2000 one of the strangest races ever took place here with Rubens Barrichello winning having started 18th on the grid. A formidable performance, terrible weather and a disgruntled Mercedes employee meant that the Brazilian was ahead into the dying laps and sneaked the win from Coulthard and Hakkinen.

The track is still be fast and there will still be one decent blast for the drivers but there will be far more overtaking opportunities and the cars will be setup with more than the "tea trays" that were prevalent on the old circuit.

Fifty-one German, plus eight more European (including 2003) and two Luxembourg Grand Prix means that Germany has been the scene of more Grand Prix than there have been years in the World Championship. In 2002 it hosted its 50th race and the 26th at Hockenheim, and has since moved ahead of the Nurburgring as the location of the German Grand Prix, although Nurburgring has European and Luxembourg Grand Prix to its credit.

Germany has become much more of a force to be reckoned with in the last ten years, thanks to the emergence of Michael and Ralf Schumacher as well as other German drivers, Arrows man Heinz Harald Frentzen and Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld. Add to that the involvement of Mercedes-Benz and the recent return of BMW and the powerful German force in the series grows even stronger.

But Germany also has a huge long history in motor racing and Grand Prix. The Nurburgring was built back in the 1920s and was opened in 1927, the first race won by Mercedes. In terms of the World Championship and German drivers, you go all the way back to Wolfgang von Trips, who was the country's lone winner for many years (two wins in 1961). Then came Jochen Mass, who squeezed in with his half- points victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in 1975. Since then, however, Michael Schumacher has brought 61 wins to the country on his own, not to mention five titles! Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher have also added to the ever increasing tally, three from Frentzen and four from Ralf Schumacher, bringing the total number of wins for German drivers to 70.

There has been a total of 40 German Grand Prix drivers plus another nine who failed to qualify. Some of these have been virtual unknowns as early German Grand Prix included a class for Formula Two cars and two of them failed to complete a single lap — although that lap was 22kms in length. However, others were pre-war Grand Prix heroes such as Hermann Lange and Hans Stuck Senior.

Hockenheim was first used just before the last war and the famous Tripoli 1.5 litre Mercedes were tested there before a brief, but successful, race in North Africa. The track had to be shortened in 1966 when an autobahn was built and the compensation financed the current massive grandstands. Nurburgring hosted early World Championship Grand Prix until the end of the fifties when a single race was run on the autobahns of Avus, just outside Berlin. But then, the Grand Prix returned to the Nurburgring again.

Hockenheim had its first Grand Prix in 1970 and then, after Niki Lauda's accident at the Nurburgring, one of only two German Grand Prix race stoppages, incidentally, the race returned to the circuit by the Rhine in 1977, briefly returning to the new Nurburgring for the 1985 race. All subsequent races have been at Hockenheim. The Nurburgring is often thought to have been the longest Grand Prix circuit in history and its early configuration did make it the longest circuit until 1957 when Pescara ran a single World Championship race. This Adriatic circuit was 25.579kms/15.894 miles long and remains the longest Grand Prix circuit of all time. However, Hockenheim was 6.825 kms, second only to Spa at 6.968 kms, up until last year. For this year the length has been drastically reduced to 4.574 kms.

This year sees the Hockenheim circuit celebrate its 70th anniversary and for the occasion, the track presents a new look and a new name, the “Hockenheimring Baden Württemberg”. The popular long straights through the woods are now gone with new parts taking their place. Where the circuit once went into the wood there is now a sharp right turn into the extremely long high speed left turn “Parabolika”. This results a hairpin to be driven with maximum steering in first gear.

After this huge corner there is a right-left-right-again turning into the famous Motodrom with the unique stadium atmosphere. Work on the circuit has reduced the lap distance so this weekend's race is now 67 laps long instead of 45. The spectators will also be in for a treat as the viewer capacity has been increased to accommodate over 40,000 more spectators.

The first three German events were all won by Ferrari from pole position. In 1952, Ferrari filled the first four positions and in 1953, 34 cars started the race, more than in any other Grand Prix, but that included Formula Two cars. Three years later, however, only five cars finished, the second fewest number of finishers of all time. Fangio won, the second of his three consecutive German Grand Prix wins — all from pole position. The finishers included Louis Rosier who was three laps and a massive 66 kms behind.

The 1959 German Grand Prix at the Avus was the only Grand Prix to have been run intentionally as a two-part race. Cliff Allison set pole position time but was a reserve driver and had to start at the back. So Tony Brooks won from pole position, flag to flag and set fastest lap. He headed a Ferrari 1-3 and there were 22 leadership changes in that race. Two years later Nurburgring hosted the 100th race in the World Championship while in 1965 Jim Clark clinched his second World Championship title with a flag-to-flag victory at the 'Ring from pole position with fastest lap.

It was the seventh race of the year, with three still to go. In 1968, Jackie Stewart won the first of his three — and two pole positions — at the Nurburgring while his 30second win in 1971 over 12 laps was the shortest in terms of laps, even if they were each 22 kms (13.6 miles) long. Jackie Ickx headed one of Ferrari's four one- two finishes in 1972 when he started from pole, led every lap and also set fastest lap. Jacques Laffite scored Williams' first ever Formula One rostrum placing with second in 1975. Williams has won eight times, including 2001, with two one-two finishes.

One of the most memorable races at this circuit was in 1982, when Nelson Piquet made the headlines after trying to punch Eliseo Salazar after they collided. It also saw Pironi badly injured during wet practice for the race, and his teammate, Patrick Tambay, went on to score an emotional win. The craziest race held here would have to be 1994, when, the end of the first lap left saw only half the field remaining after an accident triggered by Mika Hakkinen. The race was stopped and ten cars were eliminated, the most retirements ever on the first lap. Michael Schumacher retired, and Gerhard Berger went on to give Ferrari their first win in 4 years.

Nelson Piquet won the first of his three German Grand Prix victories in 1981. Four years later, Patrick Tambay and Derek Warwick were joined by Francois Hesnault in the Renault team, the last time a team ran three cars in a Grand Prix and unfortunately, none finished. In 1988, Ayrton Senna won the first of his three successive German Grand Prix victories, all of which he started from pole for McLaren. The team has won six times in Germany, four times with the drivers in first and second places.

A year later, Michael Schumacher won his home race, the first time for a German driver. However he will be hoping to contribute to his own and Ferrari's remarkable record in Germany. Ferrari has won the race 16 times, twice as many as Williams, the last being Rubens Barrichello's superb win here two years ago in wet/dry conditions after starting 18th on the grid, the first GP win of his career. The Italian team has also scored four one-two finishes.

All the devoted Michael Schumacher fans look very impressive in the stands, waving their Ferrari flags with pride. This year there is even more cause for celebration as their hero arrives at the track as the newly crowned 2002 drivers champion, and holder of five world crowns.

This track was originally used as a test track for Mercedes, but became a venue for Formula One in 1970, while the Nurburgring was being modified. Sadly, this is another track that is remembered because of tragedy this time it was the death of the great Jim Clark when he raced Formula 2000 in 1968. Patrick Depaillar also lost his life here, during testing in 1980.

The first F1 race held here, in 1970, was dramatic, as Jochen Rindt drove his Lotus home, a nose in front of Jacky Ickx’s Ferrari. This circuit lacks character, basically a high-speed race through the forest, interrupted slightly by three chicanes, and is very hard on engines, but all the devoted Michael Schumacher fans look impressive in the stands, waving their Ferrari flags with pride.

The race returned to Hockenheim in 1977, in response to the drivers not wishing to race at the Nurburgring, following Niki Lauder’s near fatal accident in 1976. Lauder, ironically enough, won the 77 race.

The most memorable race at this circuit was in 1982, when Nelson Piquet made the headlines after trying to punch Eliseo Salazar after they collided. It also saw Pironi badly injured during wet practice for the race, and his teammate, Patrick Tambay, went on to score an emotional win. The craziest race held here would have to be 1994, when, the end of the first lap left saw only half the field remaining. Michael Schumacher retired, and Gerhard Berger went on to give Ferrari their first win in 4 years.

Although the 82 race was very memorable for fans and drivers alike, the 2000 event was very powerful, especially for Brazilian driver, Rubens Barrichello. The Ferrari driver took his first Grand Prix victory after starting 18th on the grid and after a race that was dictated by changing weather conditions and a disgruntled Mercedes employee who decided to walk across the track, Rubens succumbed to tears on the podium as his emotions overwhelmed him.

Hockenheim will forever be known as the circuit at which Jim Clark was killed in 1968. However, the track in recent years has come into its own as having one of the most unique layouts in modern Formula 1. Basically the circuit comprised a twisty stadium section which then opens into a flat-out blast disappearing off into the forest.

The first race at Hockenheim took place in 1977 after Niki lauda's near fatal crash at the Nurburgring the year before. Fittingly, it was Lauda that took the victory. Throughout the Eighties it was McLaren who were the dominant force, Alain Prost taking victory in 1984 and Ayrton Senna winning in 1988 and 1989. Michael Schumacher's emergence in the Nineties gave the Hockenheim crowd a hero of their own to cheer, although 'Schumi' has not had the best of luck at his home grand prix. He has won only once in 1995, when arch-rival Damon Hill crashed while leading in the early stages. Another crowd favorite Gerhard Berger had a particular affinity with the track, winning for Ferrari in '94 and taking his final win for Benetton in 1997. Last year saw the track substantially revised and a gripping race emerge behind Michael Schumacher's dominant Ferrari.

The Track's F1 History

Hockenheim's old circuit layout usually leads to either thrilling or amazingly boring races! The field can get very spread out resulting in a procession of cars all separated by 20 or 30 seconds nut the stress on the engine means that engine blow ups were also pretty common. The German Grand Prix was moved to Hockenheim after Niki Lauda's fiery accident at the old Nurbergring in 1976. In recent years Hockenheim has tended to favor the late breakers and there has been a healthy slice of luck involved in a few of the victories as well. Gerhard Berger is probably the most successful driver here in recent times.

He won in 1994 for Ferrari after Mika Hakkinen managed to wipe out half the field on the opening lap and then repeated the feat in 1997 with his last Grand Prix win with an emotional comeback after an appalling season, both personally and professionally (he was also pretty lucky as Fisichella was leading for Jordan until a puncture in the last few laps).

In 1994 Jos Verstappen survived a spectacular fireball that engulfed his car in the pits while in 1995 Michael Schumacher won a dominant win for Benetton and Damon Hill scored a lucky win in 1996 after Berger's Renault blew in a big way in the dying laps.

In 1998 McLaren had a comfortable romp to the flag and 1999 saw a lucky win for Irvine who was down on power to the McLarens (and even Jordans) but a blow out by Hakkinen and a Stop/Go penalty by Coulthard saw him emerge behind Salo who then gifted him the race.

In 2000 a demented spectator, steaming rain and a first win for Rubens Barrichello resulted in a memorable race. Rubens qualified 18th on the grid after his car had electrical problems and Schuey crashed in qualifying resulting in their sharing the spare car. Rubens took advantage of another first lap retirement from his team mate then steadily climbed through the field and was helped by deciding to stay on slick tires despite the rain at the end. Although Rubens' win was lucky, it was also overdue. Barrichello first showed his form at Donnington Park in 1993 at the European Grand Prix there held in pouring conditions.

2001 was the last race at the old circuit and was an entirely Williams affair. Montoya blitzed pole position but it was his team mate who took the win after Montoya's engine expired after a lengthy pit stop. The race had to be restarted after Luciano Burti suffered a spectacular accident at the start, barrel-rolling his Prost after he launched himself over the back of Michael Schumacher's slow starting Ferrari. Schumacher again showed that he was not the master of Hockenheim by retiring with a fuel pressure. Ralf angered team principal Patrick Head by claiming that Montoya had caused his own retirement by running flat out. In fact both engines were said to be running identically and it was bad luck that Montoya's chose to expire. Further back Barrichello followed up his debut win in 2000 with a second place finish and Jacques Villeneuve got BAR's second podium of the year ahead of the vastly improved Benettons of Fisichella and Button and Jean Alesi's Prost.

In 2002 Schumacher made a powerful return to his home race as World Champion and predictably blitzed the field. Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen provided the entertainment as they scrapped for second place but the real winner was the new circuit which drew cautious praise from most of the drivers even though concern was expressed at the proximity of a wall to the track.

Last year was a Williams cruise to the flag for Montoya and resulted in increased speculation that 2003 would see the championship go to Williams. Coulthard was second for McLaren ahead of the two Renaults and everything seemed set for a three way showdown between Schumacher, Raikkonen and Montoya. Behind the podium the Toyotas showed good form and Button again beat Villeneuve to be the last of the point scorers just ahead of his team mate.

Last Year's German Grand Prix Results

Circuit Name / Location:  Hockenheim

Go To Page 3

Click here to go to top of this page.

Copyright 2008, SimHQ.com. All Rights Reserved. Contact the webmaster.