HOCKENHEIM

The Hockenheim circuit, is the current home of the German Grand Prix, and underwent major changes ahead of the 2002 race. The track distance was cut by around two kilometres, with a large part of the famous forest section removed. The Jim Clark Kurve, the original Ostkurve and the Ayrton Senna Kurve have all disappeared, but the tighter stadium section of the circuit remains.

From the Start-Finish line, cars approach Nord Kurve, a fast right-hander that is taken in 4th gear at 125 mph and exited in 5th ready to accelerate towards Hockenheim’s first new corner, Entrance Parabolica, a tight right-hander that replaces the Jim Clark Chicane. This takes the cars on to a very long and sweeping left curve, which ultimately leads them flat out into the tightest corner of the lap, a right-handed hairpin, replacing the former Ostkurve. The cars then rejoin the old circuit, and are likely to hit top gear before a new combination of corners, named Spitzkehre, which replaces the former Ayrton Senna Kurve. An initial, fast right-hander leads into a short straight before a much tighter left turn. The drivers then sweep quickly left and right as they rejoin the original main straight.

From there it's full-power as the cars accelerate back up to 195 mph before the stadium complex begins to come into view. The Mobil 1 Kurve is a fast right-hander that is taken in 4th gear at 105 mph and leads quickly into the Sachs Kurve as drivers shift down to a 60 mph 2nd gear for the hairpin that has a well-earned reputation for being slippery. The final section in the stadium complex that leads back to the start line, the Süd or Opel Kurve, is a double-apex hairpin with both right-handers taken in 3rd gear at an average of 90 mph and leading into the finishing straight where cars can accelerate to 175 mph.

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