The Nordschleife ran a whooping 22.5km in length, as opposed to the renovated 5.148km long track of Nürburgring. Due to its long and winding setup, the Nordschleife was widely regarded as one of the most demanding purpose-built tracks in the world. After World War II, it became the main venue for the Formula One German Grand Prix and saw the likes of Alberto Ascari and Juan manual Fangio establish themselves as the new Ringmeisters.

However, by the late 1960s, the Nordschleife came to be regarded as extremely dangerous for the new generation Formula One (F1) cars. Despite implementing various changes, like the introduction of a chicane in 1967, the Nordschleife was taken off the F1 calendar in 1970 due to the safety concerns of the F1 drivers. The circuit was reopened in 1971 after new safety measures were enacted and then hosted the German Grand Prix (GP) for another six years. The 1976 GP witnessed the horrifying accident of reigning world champion, Niki Lauda, which in turn led the F1 federation to permanently withdraw the Nordschleife’s licence to hold F1 events.

The tedious length and narrow width of the track along the slopes of the Eifel range were the main obstacles in the implementation of appropriate safety measures at the Nordschleife. With these issues in mind, the Nordschleife was broken down and a new Nürburgring circuit was constructed in 1984. The new circuit was much shorter than its elder sibling and was built to meet the highest safety standards. The racing career at new Nürburgring was kickstarted with an exhibition race featuring an elite line-up of F1 drivers, all driving identical Mercedes 190E 2.3-16s to test the new track. The legendary line-up comprised of Jack Brabham, Manfred Schurti, Ayrton Senna, Carlos Reutemann and other celebrated names of F1. The upcoming Brazilian racer, Senna took a thrilling win at the new Nürburgring, in front of experienced drivers, Lauda and Reutemann.

After its grand opening, Nürburgring successfully hosted the European 1984 and 1985 GPs before again closing down due to commercial complications. The track was, nonetheless, back in action in 1995 when Germany’s F1 driver Michael Schumacher made his mark on the international F1 scene. The 1997 and 1998 Luxembourg GPs were the next races held at the Nürburgring circuit, which further cemented the decision to bring the European GP back to Nürburgring.

The Nürburgring circuit has since been home to the European GP for the past 8 years from 1999 until 2006. In 2007, it will host the German GP, as part of a new agreement, which will henceforth see the GP alternate between Nürburgring and the circuit at Hockenheim.

Recent Results: 2009: Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP)
2008: Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
2007: Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
2006: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2005: Fernando Alonso (McLaren-Mercedes)
2004: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2003: Ralf Schumacher (Williams-BMW)
2002: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)