Out of the blocks and into top gear at 180 mph towards the Castrol 'S' bend, recently revised and expanded for the 2002 season. An additional loop has been added to house the Mercedes Arena, providing extra spectator capacity and lengthening the lap slightly. This is exited at around 100 mph as drivers change quickly up to 6th gear, accelerating to 165 mph for the approach to Valvoline Kurve. This is entered at 105 mph in 3rd gear and leads directly into the Ford Kurve at 65 mph in 2nd gear. Then, hard on the throttle, the cars approach the Dunlop Kurve at 170 mph in 5th gear.
The Dunlop Kurve is a right-hand 190-degree loop, making it the second-slowest part of the circuit at under 60 mph in 2nd gear. Provided cars have managed a good line through the loop, they can get on to the gas quickly and through 135 mph as the track swings gently left and right through the Audi-S. Out of here the approach to the Michelin Kurve (also known as the RTL Kurve) sees the cars in top gear at 170 mph, which is halved to 3rd gear at 85 mph through the near 90-degree left-hand turn. Having swept left, the Bit Kurve sweeps another 90 degrees through a right-hand turn, again in 3rd gear at around 100 mph.
