Over the course of its long history in Formula 1, the Nürburgring has hosted several F1 races, most of which counted as the European Grand Prix. This, in fact, refers to the version of the track inaugurated in 1984 and known as the GP-Strecke, which replaced the legendary Nordschleife layout. The latter is still in use today by various racing categories but was abandoned by F1 after the 1976 German Grand Prix.
That decision was made following the serious accident suffered by Niki Lauda, who after crashing into the barriers lost his helmet and was trapped in the flames of his Ferrari, surviving miraculously. Over the decades, there has been recurring discussion about the possibility of returning to one of the world’s most beloved circuits, but the answer has always remained negative. A recent ‘no’ came also from Max Verstappen.
Even the four-time world champion, interviewed by Formule1, said that the current conditions make it impossible to hold a race on the German circuit: “I’m afraid this won’t happen with the Formula 1 cars we have now,” he explained. “With GT3 speeds it’s okay and still feasible. I’ve watched old footage from time to time of Formula 1 at the Nordschleife. One thing’s certain: F1 will never go back there. It’s too dangerous.”
Still on the topic of circuits, with F1 reportedly nearing an agreement with Thailand for a Grand Prix on the streets of Bangkok, Max Verstappen also shared his thoughts on the countries that have recently entered the F1 calendar and on his own ideal schedule: “Ultimately, one can hope a motorsport culture will develop in those countries as well,” he added, “but if it were up to me, the calendar would look very different and include fewer races. The circuits that, in my opinion, deserve a ‘special status’ and should always be on the calendar purely for sporting reasons are Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Silverstone, Imola, Suzuka, and Brazil.”
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