This Is Why We Miss The Old Hockenheimring Layout

The Hockenheimring has had a long association with Formula 1, stretching all the way back to 1970 when the track hosted its first race. But this inaugural F1 event took place on a very different layout, one that was fast, scary, mad and completely different to the circuit that is currently raced on.

Up until 2001 the German track featured long straights through the woods, broken up by tight chicanes and with a slower stadium-like section towards the end of the lap. This final part of the Hockenheimring has remained largely unchanged, but the rest was drastically redesigned for the 2002 race.

The famous long straights and chicanes were replaced by a shorter, slower layout with more low-speed and medium-speed corners. It has remained largely unchanged since the dramatic redesign, apart from the typical minor changes to run-off areas and kerbs.

But while the new layout may provide better overtaking opportunities, the soul and charm of the Hockenheimring was lost. It was a unique track, now its characteristics are no different to the majority of the other circuits on the F1 calendar.

Most of the old layout has been taken up and replaced by trees and plants. It has been reclaimed to the forest, eliminating any chance of it ever being used. If you go on Google Maps and type in the circuit name, you can see the outline of the old circuit where cars used to speed down straights at well over 200mph.

Changes to the Hockenheimring needed to be made for safety reasons, but that still doesn’t take away the character and thrill of the old layout. It’s certainly missed by many in F1 - fans and drivers alike. We’ll just have to settle for watching classic clips on TV and YouTube to get our fix of the original track.