After a one-year break from the calendar, Formula 1 returns to Germany this weekend for round 12 of the 2016 season.
The Hockenheimring will host its 34th German GP this weekend, with the event also marking the 62nd time the race has been included on the F1 schedule.
Recently the track has alternated hosting duties for the German round of the F1 calendar with the Nurburgring but both venues were unable to put on the race in 2015, causing it to be cancelled.
Thankfully F1 is back at the Hockenheimring this weekend as the historic track makes a return to the schedule. But the circuit is a shadow of its previous layout. Up to the 2001 season, the series raced around a fast, thrilling 4.24-mile layout blasting through the woods at speeds well over 200mph.
The long straights were broken up by tight, twisty chicanes before cars entered the slower stadium section. This final part of the track has remained largely unchanged but the rest was completely redesigned for 2002, with the new part starting just after the first corner.
The old section of track has largely been torn up and reclaimed to the woodland. The current layout is a tricky 2.842 layout featuring more slow and medium-speed corners. A lap kicks off on the medium-length pit straight, with the fast right-hander of Turn 1 being followed by a short straight.
The pitlane exit is on the inside of the corner. Turn 2 is a slow right-hand hairpin, with drivers then quickly turning right again and then left for the run onto the curving back straight (which includes Turn 5). This is the fastest part of the circuit and is where the second sector begins.
The heavy braking zone for the right-hand Turn 6 hairpin makes it a strong overtaking spot. A short straight is next up before the cars tackle the fast right-hand kink of Turn 7. Drivers are quickly on the brakes for the medium-speed left of Turn 8, before the Turn 9 kink and double-apex right of the 10th and 11th corners.
A short straight follows before cars enter the final sector, which begins with the sweeping right-hander of Turn 12. Turn 13 is a long but slow hairpin, with the 14th and 15th corners making up a fast left-right chicane.
Two slow right-hand turns conclude the lap. The pitlane entry is to the inside of the final corner, while the DRS zones will be positioned on the straight between the first and second corners and on the long, curving back straight.
While the circuit isn’t as thrilling and fast as its predecessor, it throws up a rather different challenge, with some challenging and twisty sections.
A medium downforce set-up is required due to the varying challenges of the track, with three very different sectors – the first being long straights and a mixture of corners, the second featuring flat-out bursts of speed and heavy braking zones and the third throwing up slower, more technical corners.
It isn’t known to be a ‘power’ track but the straights will certainly benefit the Mercedes cars. The twisty final sector will be more suited to Red Bull and Ferrari could move into the mix with the wide range of corner types.
Traction and braking stability are crucial at the Hockenheimring and wear rates will be closely monitored throughout the race for the latter.
Nico Rosberg won the last German Grand Prix in 2014 for Mercedes but heads to the race on the back foot after losing the championship lead and race victory in Hungary to his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver in German GP history with four wins on home soil, with Juan Manuel Fangio, Jackie Stewart, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Fernando Alonso next up with three wins apiece. Ferrari has the most wins for a constructor with 21.
German Grand Prix Fact File
Location: Hockenheim, Germany
Track length: 2.842 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 17
Laps: 67
First race: 1970 (1951 German GP)
Lap record: Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2004, 1m13.780
Tyre compounds: super-soft, soft and medium
2014 winner: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m16.540
2014 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m19.908
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (highlights Channel 4)
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Recently the track has alternated hosting duties for the German round of the F1 calendar with the Nurburgring but both venues were unable to put on the race in 2015, causing it to be cancelled.
Thankfully F1 is back at the Hockenheimring this weekend as the historic track makes a return to the schedule. But the circuit is a shadow of its previous layout. Up to the 2001 season, the series raced around a fast, thrilling 4.24-mile layout blasting through the woods at speeds well over 200mph.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The long straights were broken up by tight, twisty chicanes before cars entered the slower stadium section. This final part of the track has remained largely unchanged but the rest was completely redesigned for 2002, with the new part starting just after the first corner.
The old section of track has largely been torn up and reclaimed to the woodland. The current layout is a tricky 2.842 layout featuring more slow and medium-speed corners. A lap kicks off on the medium-length pit straight, with the fast right-hander of Turn 1 being followed by a short straight.
The pitlane exit is on the inside of the corner. Turn 2 is a slow right-hand hairpin, with drivers then quickly turning right again and then left for the run onto the curving back straight (which includes Turn 5). This is the fastest part of the circuit and is where the second sector begins.
The heavy braking zone for the right-hand Turn 6 hairpin makes it a strong overtaking spot. A short straight is next up before the cars tackle the fast right-hand kink of Turn 7. Drivers are quickly on the brakes for the medium-speed left of Turn 8, before the Turn 9 kink and double-apex right of the 10th and 11th corners.
A short straight follows before cars enter the final sector, which begins with the sweeping right-hander of Turn 12. Turn 13 is a long but slow hairpin, with the 14th and 15th corners making up a fast left-right chicane.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Two slow right-hand turns conclude the lap. The pitlane entry is to the inside of the final corner, while the DRS zones will be positioned on the straight between the first and second corners and on the long, curving back straight.
While the circuit isn’t as thrilling and fast as its predecessor, it throws up a rather different challenge, with some challenging and twisty sections.
A medium downforce set-up is required due to the varying challenges of the track, with three very different sectors – the first being long straights and a mixture of corners, the second featuring flat-out bursts of speed and heavy braking zones and the third throwing up slower, more technical corners.
It isn’t known to be a ‘power’ track but the straights will certainly benefit the Mercedes cars. The twisty final sector will be more suited to Red Bull and Ferrari could move into the mix with the wide range of corner types.
Traction and braking stability are crucial at the Hockenheimring and wear rates will be closely monitored throughout the race for the latter.
Nico Rosberg won the last German Grand Prix in 2014 for Mercedes but heads to the race on the back foot after losing the championship lead and race victory in Hungary to his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver in German GP history with four wins on home soil, with Juan Manuel Fangio, Jackie Stewart, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Fernando Alonso next up with three wins apiece. Ferrari has the most wins for a constructor with 21.
German Grand Prix Fact File
Location: Hockenheim, Germany
Track length: 2.842 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 17
Laps: 67
First race: 1970 (1951 German GP)
Lap record: Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2004, 1m13.780
Tyre compounds: super-soft, soft and medium
2014 winner: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m16.540
2014 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m19.908
Live on: Sky Sports F1 (highlights Channel 4)
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