Hockenheimring

Hockenheimring layout used in the 1992 German Grand Prix.

The **Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg** (better known simply as the **Hockenheimring**) is a motor racing circuit situated in the Rhine valley, near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the current home of the German Grand Prix, inheriting the race from the Nürburgring in 1986.

## Circuit history

The Hockenheimring, formerly known as the "Dreieckskurs" (triangle course), was built in 1932. Ernst Christ, a young timekeeper, was the driving force behind it. He believed that a racecourse should be erected in his hometown of Hockenheim. He submitted the plans to the mayor, and they were accepted on Christmas Day, 1931. The first configuration of the track was around twelve kilometres long and comprised of a big triangle-shaped segment, a hairpin in the city and two straights connecting them.

The circuit was drastically shortened in 1938, from twelve miles to just over seven and a half, and the Ostkurve corner was included for the first time. In that year, the track was also renamed "Kurpfalzring". During WWII, tanks caused damage to the track. Following the war, the track was restored and renamed "Hockenheimring". Wilhelm Herz, a former DKW and NSU factory rider and world record holder, became the track's manager in 1954 and effectively promoted it; Grand Prix motorcycle racing events were staged, with the German motorcycle Grand Prix alternating between the Hockenheimring and other tracks. This version of the circuit was slightly over seven and a half kilometres long and featured the original two long straights, with the Ostkurve in the forest and the original hairpin inside Hockenheim connecting them.

When the new Autobahn A 6 separated the village from the rest of the track in 1965, a new version of the Hockenheim circuit was developed, complete with the "Motodrom" stadium portion designed by John Hugenholtz, who also designed Suzuka. After Jim Clark was killed in a Formula 2 racing accident on 7 April, 1968, two fast chicanes were constructed, and the circuit was lined with crash barriers by 1970. A tiny memorial was erected near the first chicane (named after him) at the scene of his accident. Following Patrick Depailler's death at the Ostkurve (east curve) in 1980, another chicane was installed in 1982, and the original chicane was also made slower. For the 1992 German Grand Prix, the Ostkurve was transformed from a rapid left turn to a more complicated right-left-right chicane.

This version used to be quite large, with a very long and very fast section going through forests, essentially consisting of four straights of about 1.3 km (0.81 mi), separated by a chicane sequence, followed by a more tight and twisty "stadium" section (so called because of all the grandstands located there) named *Motodrom*. This made racing car setup difficult because a decision had to be made between running low downforce to optimise speed through the straights and compromising grip in the stadium section, or running more downforce to optimise grip through the stadium section while sacrificing speed on the straights. Because of the vast track length, a typical Formula One race only lasted 45 laps, restricting fans' enjoyment to that many runs through the stadium.

During the mid-1980s "turbo era" of Formula One, when fuel was limited to 220 litres (58 US gallons) (1984–1985), 195 litres (52 US gallons) (1986–1987), or 150 litres (40 US gallons) (1988) litres for races for turbo-powered cars, Hockenheim saw drivers, including World Champion Alain Prost, fail to finish due to simply running out of fuel near the end of the race. Prost ran out at the end of the 1986 race, pushing his McLaren to the finish line before giving up. When he ran dry, he was placed third and was finally classified sixth, earning a significant championship point that would help him win his second World Championship.

## Event history

The following is a list of Formula One World Championship events held at the Hockenheimring:

### Repeat winners (drivers)

*Drivers **in bold** are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.*

 2
  **Ayrton Senna** | 1990, 1991

### Repeat winners (constructors)

*Teams **in bold** are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.*

 3
 2
  **McLaren** | 1984, 1988

### Repeat winners (engine manufacturers)

 5
 3

## Notes

1. ↑ Built by Cosworth, funded by Ford Cosworth.