# Sachsenring

The Sachsenring (German pronunciation: ) is a motorsport racing circuit located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship.

## History

The first race was held on 26 May 1927 on an 8.618 km (5.355 mi) layout on public roads, running also through the village of Hohenstein-Ernstthal itself. It was dubbed "Sachsenring" in 1937.
The East German motorcycle Grand Prix was held there from 1961 to 1972. The local two stroke MZ bikes of Zschopau were competitive during this time. The quickest lap was achieved by 15 time World Champion Giacomo Agostini on a MV Agusta with a 180 km/h (110 mph) average. After West German Dieter Braun won in 1971 and the East German fans sang the West German National Anthem in celebration (as is the case in sport, the winner's National Anthem is played after the event), the event was limited to East European entrants for political reasons.
In 1990, with faster Western machinery now available, racing through the village became too dangerous with some fatalities (this can be compared with the Isle of Man TT).
To accelerate redevelopment of eastern Germany in the new unified Germany, a 3.517 km (2.185 mi) short track berg corner was built in the 1990s to bring international motorsport to the eastern part of Germany. In 1996, IDM motorcycle racing and the ADAC Super Tourenwagen Cup resumed racing here. The DTM raced here in 2000, with Klaus Ludwig winning at age 51, but the DTM did not return after 2002, preferring international venues. DTM returned to Sachsenring in 2023 after its take-over by ADAC due to its preference of using national venues again.
Since 1998, the German motorcycle Grand Prix moved to the Sachsenring from Nürburgring. In recent years, the track has been made faster and longer again, with the length now being 3.671 km (2.281 mi). Since 2007, the Sachsenring is part of the regular schedule of ADAC GT Masters. In 2011 the FIA GT1 World Championship held one of its race weekends at the Sachsenring.

## Layout history

* Original Circuit (1927–1990)
* Grand Prix Circuit (1998–1999)
* Grand Prix Circuit (2001–2002)
* Grand Prix Circuit (2003–present)

## Most wins
### Grand Prix motorcycle racing

| # Wins | Rider | Years won |
| 11 | Marc Márquez | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 |

## Events
### Current

* May: ADAC Sachsenring Classic
* July: Grand Prix motorcycle racing German motorcycle Grand Prix, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, Northern Talent Cup
* August: Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, ADAC GT4 Germany, NXT Gen Cup

### Former

* ADAC Formel Masters (2008–2014)
* ADAC Formula 4 (2015–2017, 2019, 2021)
* ADAC GT Masters (2007–2023)
* ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship (2016–2022)
* Austria Formula 3 Cup (1998, 2005)
* FIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup (2022)
* FIA GT1 World Championship (2011)
* Formula BMW ADAC (2000–2002)
* Formula Renault 2.0 Germany (2004–2005)
* German Formula Three Championship (1997–2002, 2004–2005, 2007–2014)
* Grand Prix motorcycle racing
** East German motorcycle Grand Prix (1961–1972)
* IDM Superbike Championship [de] (1996–1997, 2003–2006, 2008–2013, 2020, 2023–2024)
* MotoE World Championship
** German eRace (2019, 2023–2024)
* Protoype Cup Germany [de] (2024)
* Sidecar World Championship (2005–2014, 2018, 2023–2024)
* Super Tourenwagen Cup (1996–1999)
* V8Star Series (2003)

## Lap records

As of September 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Sachsenring are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
| Grand Prix Circuit: 3.671 km (2003–present) |||||
| Formula Three | 1:13.714 | Frédéric Vervisch | Dallara F306 | 2008 Sachsenring German F3 round |
| LMP3 | 1:17.547 | Keanu Al Azhari | Duqueine D-08 | 2024 Sachsenring Prototype Cup Germany round |
| Formula 4 | 1:18.362 | Fabio Scherer | Tatuus F4-T014 | 2017 Sachsenring ADAC Formula 4 round |
| GT3 | 1:18.603 | Luca Stolz | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | 2017 Sachsenring ADAC GT Masters round |
| GT1 | 1:19.602 | Mike Hezemans [de] | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | 2011 Sachsenring FIA GT1 round |
| MotoGP | 1:20.667 | Jorge Martín | Ducati Desmosedici GP24 | 2024 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Formula Renault 2.0 | 1:21.413 | Colin Fleming | Tatuus FR2000 | 2004 Sachsenring Formula Renault 2000 Germany round |
| ADAC Formel Masters | 1:21.715 | Pascal Wehrlein | Dallara Formulino | 2011 Sachsenring ADAC Formel Masters round |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | 1:22.629 | Laurin Heinrich | Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup | 2022 Sachsenring Porsche Carrera Cup Germany round |
| Moto2 | 1:23.449 | Tony Arbolino | Kalex Moto2 | 2024 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Superbike | 1:23.773 | Hannes Soomer [it] | Honda CBR1000RR | 2023 Sachsenring IDM Superbike round |
| 250cc | 1:24.552 | Álvaro Bautista | Aprilia RSA 250 | 2009 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Supersport | 1:25.076 | Melvin van der Voort | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 2023 Sachsenring IDM Supersport round |
| Moto3 | 1:25.467 | Iván Ortolá | KTM RC250GP | 2024 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| MotoE | 1:26.522 | Héctor Garzó | Ducati MotoE | 2024 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| TCR Touring Car | 1:26.749 | Luca Engstler | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 2018 Sachsenring TCR Germany round |
| 125cc | 1:26.909 | Gábor Talmácsi | Aprilia RS125R | 2007 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| GT4 | 1:27.061 | Mike David Ortmann | Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 | 2022 Sachsenring ADAC GT4 round |
| ETCR | 1:30.251 | Maxime Martin | Alfa Romeo Giulia ETCR | 2022 Sachsenring FIA ETCR round |
| Supersport 300 | 1:31.779 | Iñigo Iglesias [de] | Kawasaki Ninja 400 | 2023 Sachsenring IDM Supersport 300 round |
| NXT Gen Cup | 1:41.666 | Victor Nielsen | LRT NXT1 | 2024 Sachsenring NXT Gen Cup round |
| Grand Prix Circuit: 3.704 km (2001–2002) |||||
| Formula Three | 1:17.151 | Kosuke Matsuura | Dallara F301 | 2001 Sachsenring German F3 round |
| DTM | 1:21.221 | Michael Bartels | Opel Astra DTM | 2002 Sachsenring DTM round |
| Formula BMW | 1.25.988 | Maximilian Götz | Mygale FB02 | 2002 Sachsenring Formula BMW ADAC round |
| MotoGP | 1:26.226 | Valentino Rossi | Honda RC211V | 2002 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 500cc | 1:26.808 | Shinya Nakano | Yamaha YZR500 | 2001 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 250cc | 1:27.233 | Marco Melandri | Aprilia RSV250 | 2001 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | 1:29.125 | Roland Asch | Porsche 911 (996 I) GT3 Cup | 2001 Sachsenring Porsche Carrera Cup Germany round |
| 125cc | 1:29.486 | Steve Jenkner | Aprilia RS125R | 2002 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Grand Prix Circuit: 3.386 km (2000) |||||
| Formula Three | 1:14.394 | Alex Müller | Dallara F300 | 2000 Sachsenring German F3 round |
| DTM | 1:19.971 | Marcel Fässler | Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK DTM | 2000 Sachsenring DTM round |
| 250cc | 1:23.575 | Olivier Jacque | Yamaha YZR250 | 2000 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 500cc | 1:23.918 | Tadayuki Okada | Honda NSR500 | 2000 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 125cc | 1:26.150 | Youichi Ui | Derbi RS125R | 2000 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | 1:26.620 | Roland Asch | Porsche 911 (996 I) GT3 Cup | 2000 Sachsenring Porsche Carrera Cup Germany round |
| Grand Prix Circuit: 3.508 km (1998–1999) |||||
| Formula Three | 1:20.078 | Bas Leinders | Dallara F397 | 1998 Sachsenring German F3 round |
| 500cc | 1:28.072 | Alex Barros | Honda NSR500 | 1999 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Super Touring | 1:28.384 | Christian Abt | Audi A4 Quattro | 1999 Sachsenring STW Cup round |
| 250cc | 1:28.625 | Tetsuya Harada | Aprilia RSV 250 | 1998 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 125cc | 1:30.159 | Emilio Alzamora | Honda RS125R | 1999 German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Grand Prix Circuit: 3.517 km (1996–1997) |||||
| Formula Three | 1:24.416 | Timo Scheider | Dallara F397 | 1997 Sachsenring German F3 round |
| Super Touring | 1:31.800 | Laurent Aïello | Peugeot 406 | 1997 Sachsenring STW Cup round |
| Grand Prix Circuit: 8.618 km (1927–1990) |||||
| 500cc | 2:55.400 | Giacomo Agostini | MV Agusta 500 Three | 1968 East German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 350cc | 2:59.200 | Giacomo Agostini | MV Agusta 350 3C | 1971 East German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 250cc | 3:01.100 | Jarno Saarinen | Yamaha 250 V4 | 1972 East German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| 125cc | 3:12.200 | Bill Ivy | Yamaha AS1 | 1968 East German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Formula Three | 3:12.200 | Kurt Ahrens Jr. | Brabham BT18 | 1966 Sachsenringrennen |
| Formula Junior | 3:21.700 | Willy Lehmann | SEG - Wartburg | 1963 Sachsenring East German Formula Junior round |
| 50cc | 3:41.200 | Jan de Vries | Kreidler 50 GP | 1972 East German motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Formula Two | 3:44.600 | Fritz Riess | AFM 3 | 1950 Sachsenringrennen |

## Spectators at the MotoGP since 1998

| Year | Spectators | Growth |
| 1998 | 142,000 | |
| 1999 | 151,000 | + 6.34% |
| 2000 | 161.000 | + 6.62% |
| 2001 | 177,000 | + 9.94% |
| 2002 | 184,500 | + 4.24% |
| 2003 | 204,000 | + 10.57% |
| 2004 | 207,745 | + 1.84% |
| 2005 | 216,457 | + 4.19% |
| 2006 | 219,848 | + 1.57% |
| 2007 | 226,944 | + 3.23% |
| 2008 | 221,492 | - 2.40% |
| 2009 | 214,711 | - 3,06% |
| 2010 | 224,668 | + 4.64% |
| 2011 | 230,133 | + 2.4% |
| 2012 | 195,695 | - 15% |
| 2013 | 204,491 | + 4.5% |
| 2014 | 209,408 | + 2.4% |
| 2015 | 211,588 | + 1% |