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Hockenheim
It was 1930 when Ernst Christ came at
the idea of building a race track near his hometown. He won the
support from the major from Hockenheim, Philipp Klein, and get the
DMV (German Motorsport Organization) so far that they promise to use
the track when ready. On December the 5th 1931 the local government
gives green light for the construction of the track. Workers where
set in by a unemployment's project and the construction of the 7,45
mile long "Dreieckskurs" (Triangle-course) starts at March 23rd
1932. Because there was not enough money the first motor races, on
May 29th 1932, where held on an unpaved track.
 1932-1937  1938-1965
 1966-2001
Typical for the
circuit, that was driven anticlockwise, where the long straights. In 1938 the
track was shortened to 4,78 miles, by the construction of the Ostkurve (East
corner), and widen from 5,5 metres to 8 to 9 metres. From
that time the circuit had his famous wing shape, which it lost in 2002. The
track was also renamed from Dreieckskurs to Kurpfalzring.
The old part and the new part of the track in 1938.
Short after the
opening of the new track the Second World War broke out and motor racing
stopped. During the war the surface was badly damaged because allied forces
drove with their tanks on the circuit. When the circuit was repaired, and
renamed to Hockenheimring (Hockenheim-circuit), the first post war races in
Germany where held here on the 11th of May 1947.
Hans Stuck Sr.
in action during the first post war race in Germany.
During the 60's a new
motorway was planned and would cross the circuit, which made a reconstruction of
the track necessary. The Dutchman John Hugenholtz designed a new section in a
stadium inspired on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, called the Motodrom
(Motor-stadium).
The construction of the Motodrom
The construction of the Motodrom started in 1964 and was opened in 1966. From
that moment the driving direction was changed from anticlockwise to clockwise!
Typical for this, 4,2 miles long, version was the contrast between the lonely
long straights and the twisty section in the crowd packed stadium.
The opening of the Motodrom
The 7th of April 1968
was a black day in the history of Hockenheim, when legend Jim Clark lost his
life here during a Formula 2 race. For many people, Hockenheim will be
associated forever with the death of Jim Clark.
In 1970 two chicanes where constructed halfway both long straights. Because of
safety problems at the Nürburgring the German Formula 1 Grand Prix was held that
year at Hockenheim for the first time. This race was won by Jochen Rindt who was
killed at Monza later that year and became postume World Champion. The next year
Formula 1 was back at the
Nürburgring. But after the accident from Nikki Lauda
in 1976 the Nürburgring was found to dangerous and the German Grand Prix was
moved to Hockenheim. From 1977 to 2006 the German Grand Prix was held at
Hockenheim, except in 1985 when there was no German Grand Prix.
Since 2007 the Grand Prix is alternated with the reconstructed
Nürburgring.
In 1982 a third chicane was constructed
at the Ostkurve. The three chicanes where changed several times
during the years. Until 1994 they where originally named Bremskurve
1, 2 and 3 (Chicane 1, 2 and 3). There where also different variants
from the first and last chicane for car races and motorcycle races.
The Ostkurve chicane was only used for car races. The last big
changes on the chicanes was after the tragedies in the San Marino
Grand Prix from 1994. The first and last chicane where made slower
and renamed to Jim Clark Chicane (The first chicane), this one was
close to the spot where Jim Clark had his fatal accident, and the
Ayrton Senna Chicane (The third chicane).
At the end of
the 90's Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone found that the circuit should be
shortened to make the spectators see the cars more often. To guarantee the
future from the Grand Prix at Hockenheim a reconstruction was necessary. The
original plan was to make a shortcut between the first and the third chicane but
later they decided to rebuild the circuit dramatically. The German engineers
company from Hermann Tilke designed a complete new part that replaced the
section with the long straights and the Ostkurve. To realise this there should
be lots of trees felled. To compensate the lost of trees, the old circuit was
demolished to plant there new trees. This was the end from the typically wing
shaped Hockenheim, to make place for an ultra modern circuit.
In 2002, during the reconstruction, I drove at the Club circuit from Hockenheim.
Click on the picture to read more about that day.
The last
Grand Prix held at the old Hockenheimring in 2001 was won by German Ralf
Schumacher with an average speed from 235.351 km/h. The highest top speed was
held in 2000 by David Coulthard. At the one mile straight, after the first
corner, he reached a speed from 224,8 mph (361,8 km/h). The old Hockenheim
circuit may be not the most technical circuit, but after all it was a very
typical circuit which was a big challenge for the engine builders! It also was a
circuit that gave, just like Monza, a variation to the Formula 1 calendar. Think
about the Grand Prix from 1994 when Gerard Berger won the race with his Ferrari,
at that time not competitive on average circuits, because of the power from the
V12 engine!
Only the short parts of the straights,
exit Motodrom an entrance Motodrom, are now the remains of the
original Dreieckskurs (Triangle-course). The old part trough the
woods is still recognizable because of the young threes. But after
some decades only the Jim Clark monument will remember that here, in
the middle of the woods, was once one of the fastest racetracks in
Europe!
The
spectacular start from the last Grand Prix at the old Hockenheimring in 2001.
Ironical enough the circuit came in
financial problems because of the expensive reconstruction in 2002.
At one moment it looked that Formula 1 would never return to
Hockenheim because the costs are higher than the profits. A solution
was found when they agreed with the
Nürburgring
to alternate the Grand Prix between both circuits. Now you can ask
if that reconstruction was necessary for a race which will be held
once in the two years! Goodbye long
straights, goodbye Ostkurve, goodbye old Hockenheim. Thanks Bernie
...
Discuss this circuit at the forum.
© Text: Herman Liesemeijer Pictures: Hockenheim-ring GMBH, George Standaar
and Herman Liesemeijer |
