I have driven several times at the Nordschleife
but the part you fear the most of this incredible racetrack is
without a doubt the Fuchsröhre! The Fuchsröhre is one of the most
exciting, intimidating and dangerous parts of a racetrack in the
world. During the construction of the Nürburgring at this site there
was a fox living in a drainage pipe. So the called this part
Fuchsröhre what's German for fox hole. The Fuchsröhre contains five
corners which can be taken flat out! Easy you think?
Coming from the Aremberg corner you accelerate
under the bridge to the Fuchsröhre. First you have a left right
combination behind a hillock, so you have to turn in before you can
see the corner while you keep your right foot on the throttle. After
this the track goes steep downhill, which makes you accelerate even
faster. After a very short straight, just enough to swift, you go
into a left sweeper with a bump at the clipping point! While you
keep your pedal to the metal, with a speed of 180 km/h (115 mph) or
faster, you're bouncing outside when you hit the bump! Exciting
isn't it?
Your speed increased over 200 km/h (125 mph) when
you're reaching the last two corners of the Fuchsröhre. You see the
right left combination in front of you while you still go full
throttle downhill. Something tells you to lift your foot from the
throttle but you know you can take it flat out! It's always a fight
with yourself to keep your right foot down. The right corner is a
short sweep but the left one is longer. In the middle of this corner
you go from steep downhill to steep uphill and you feel more G
forces than you ever did in a normal corner! It must be a Formula 1
experience in a normal road car. Even if I think about this corner I
feel the G forces! In a Formula 1 documentary about the seventies
Jacky Stewart told about the Fuchsröhre that there are so many G
forces that he couldn't take his foot from the throttle!
