September 27, 1925: 100 years ago, construction began on the Nürburgring
The Nürburgring, the world's biggest racetrack, is about to celebrate its 100th birthday. Over the course of a century, this track in the Eifel mountains has seen some of the world's most beautiful cars come and go, but has unfortunately also been the graveyard of many a driver.
A evocative name. Memories, spectacle, performance, legend, dramas. The list of adjectives could be long. The Nürburgring is the craziest circuit of all. Yes, it has competed with many road courses throughout history. But which one still remains?
And yes, the Nürburgring. This giant track on the Eifel mountains, in the middle of the forest. A feature that brings a bucolic touch, bringing us back to nature, but above all to a dangerous aspect. Long before our modern era, going off-track was synonymous with great danger. Even death. Nice, right?
An exceptional circuit
5.1 kilometers? Not at all… Initially, the Nürburgring was much longer. Nor was it the 20.8 kilometers of the Nordschleife that were used. The track could be 28.265 kilometers by using both loops of the site: the north and the south.
But they have rarely been used. For the Grand Prix, the drivers would take the north loop, which shared some sections with the south. The pit straight and the one on the other side were used by both tracks.
A challenge of 22,810 kilometers to take on. Immense. Even if it wasn’t the longest circuit for Formula 1, it was the most demanding. Lined with trees. Fast curves. Winding sections. Blind corners. Significant elevation. And sometimes, all four wheels in the air. How can one not remember those images where the Formula 1 cars of the 1960s occasionally lost contact with the ground? Even in a legendary video, Jackie Stewart, in a road car, detailed this tortuous circuit to a journalist.
Here is a short summary of what is called the Green Hell since the Scottish triple-world champion named it so. If a driver tells you that he’s not afraid on the Ring, there are two possibilities: either he’s lying, or he’s not going fast enough to understand what the Ring is, tended to say the one who partly wrote his legend with Tyrrell.
Here is the work carried out by Germany, which wanted its own circuit. Indeed, in the 1920s, neighboring countries had their own tracks: France, Italy, the United Kingdom… To build it, many unemployed workers were hired, and it was constructed near the Eifel quarries. This region was very poor, and this project, along with the activities conducted here, helped develop a kind of tourism. Thousands of cubic meters of concrete were poured, millions of truckloads of earth were moved… Unprecedented.
A queen of the Nordschleife
A track and personalities. Over its 98 years – because even though construction began in 1925, it was only inaugurated in 1927 – many men and women have intertwined their stories with the Nürburgring.
The most famous is none other than Sabine Schmitz. Over 22,000 laps of the Ring in her life, tragically cut short due to cancer. No one has done better. The German also won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring twice, in 1996 and 1997. She is the only woman to have achieved this feat. The first corner of the Nordschleife has been named after her since mid-2021.
The first legend of the circuit? Rudolf Caracciola. A German with Italian origins. Born in 1901, he got his driver’s license at 15 before taking on odd jobs here and there before joining a Mercedes site in Dresden where he sold cars. Here, thanks to his talent, sales of cars with the star on the hood skyrocketed. Gifted with an evident talent for racing, he notably won the 1926 German Grand Prix on the Avus, in the rain. A high-flying performance that earned him the nickname Regenmeister, which means King of the Rain in French.
Other big names such as Bernd Rosemeyer, Hans Stuck, and Jackie Stewart are closely linked to this immense amusement park nestled in the middle of the Eifel forest.
A fickle weather
A geographical location conducive to unstable weather. It is common to see rain pouring down on just one part of the track in Formula 1 circuits. So with over 20 kilometers of track, the risk increases significantly.
In winter, the thick layer of snow covering this part of the Eifel massif gives rise to cross-country skiing competitions or sled dog races.
Convicted in 1976
He had been on borrowed time for many years. As early as 1970, drivers called for a boycott: Jochen Rindt led the charge. Even though the Austrian loved driving here and mastering its 170 turns, there were no guardrails to prevent a driver from ending up in the trees or vegetation in the event of going off the track.
So, faced with pressure from the GPDA, the German Grand Prix was moved to Hockenheim, which Jochen Rindt won. The Nürburgring owners then made massive investments in safety and to bring it up to standards. Result: Formula 1 returned to the Nürburgring.
But in 1976, new protests took place. This time led by Niki Lauda. In response to this action, many observers considered him a coward. These remarks were unfair as the Austrian was the first man to break the seven-minute barrier on the Nordschleife in 1975.
But no matter, his claims, supported by other drivers, did not succeed. The massive investments made previously enabled the organization of the Grand Prix to be maintained. A truly dramatic race.
While the sky was very clear in the morning, the wind brought clouds over the track during the afternoon, causing a few drops to fall. Many sections were soaked, like on the starting straight. The drivers then put on suitable tires, except Jochen Mass, who, well-informed, chose to put on slicks. A good choice as most of the track had dried.
At the end of the first lap, the pack went into the pits to change their mounts. Niki Lauda did too. While fighting for the title, the Austrian wanted to climb up the ranks. Once out, he drove flat out. And in the small break just before Bergwerk, about 10 kilometers from the start, the Ferrari broke its rear suspension and headed towards the barrier. The impact punctured the 312 T2’s fuel tank and set the car emblazoned with number 1 ablaze.
Two drivers crashed into the wayward Ferrari before helping Niki Lauda. Two other competitors came to their aid. After many seconds in an 800-degree blaze, he was able to be extracted from the wreckage. At first glance, his health condition was stable despite some visible burns on his face. According to several drivers, he was able to hold a conversation and walk with assistance.
Transferred from hospital to hospital – from Adenau to Mannheim – his condition eventually worsened. The doctors didn’t give him twenty-four hours. Through intense struggle, he defied death and returned to competition about forty days later.
Many considered that this event had condemned the Nordschleife. But that’s false. The contract with Formula 1 had expired and was not renewed. The obvious lack of safety on such a long circuit was the main reason. The ambulance response time to attend to Niki Lauda would no longer be acceptable today.
Major works were then undertaken. Various layouts were imagined. And in place of the Sudschleife, the Grand Prix track we know today was born. It has evolved very slightly over the years, notably in the first sector.
Serial dramas
Despite efforts to improve safety year after year, the northern loop of the Nürburgring remains a trap. Each turn can send a vehicle into the barrier. It’s not without reason that motorcycles are no longer allowed to ride there during public sessions. The differences in driving dynamics between two and four wheels present a risk of confusion, particularly for motorcyclists. To make the driving experience safer for everyone, cars and motorcycles will be strictly separated in the future, the circuit officials justified in February 2025.
During this year, the Nordschleife was affected by tragic events. Several people lost their lives there, and a very violent accident made headlines worldwide. A Porsche and a BMW collided in the very fast section before the Flugplatz. The Porsche was literally destroyed and caught fire immediately.
