After a year's excursion, Formula One returns to the Nurburgring circuit in western Germany. While nothing like the original course, the race inevitably evokes memories of legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark and Graham Hill lapping a circuit that spanned over 22 kilometers in length.
In its final year of F1 use, 1976, laps took longer than seven minutes to complete, and Niki Lauda's horrendous accident there effectively caused the creation of the current track. The Nordschleife section is still in use today, hosting the famed 24 Hours of Nurburgring each year.
The course used today opened in the mid-1980s and has hosted 16 F1 events heading into Sunday's race. Last time F1 was here, Red Bull finished 1-2, with Mark Webber earning his first series win. In doing so, he became the first driver since Jacques Villeneuve to earn his first career F1 victory at Nurburgring.
Sebastian Vettel has 16 victories to his name, but none have come on his home soil. He recently described racing at home to reporters, saying "One of the objectives a Formula One driver sets for himself is to win his 'home race.' Of course, you always give 100 percent, but at a home race you're always more motivated, simply because you feel at home."
Only four active drivers have won an event in their home nation, and just two have done it more than once.
Michael Schumacher has accomplished it nine times, winning at Nurburgring on five occasions. Felipe Massa is the only other to win more than once; he has two wins in his home nation of Brazil. A quarter of Sunday's field will be German, meaning many drivers will be looking for a strong finish in front of their home fans.
One German may be a bit busier than the rest, as Nico Rosberg will have the privilege of driving Fangio's Mercedes from 1954 around the full course. The W196 won the event at Nurburgring that year, one of nine F1 wins for Mercedes. That season, the marque stormed onto the scene with a car that was rather unique; not only was it technically superior to the competition, but it originally featured a full body with wheels that were covered. The car that won in Germany, however, was an open-wheel version.
Meanwhile, championship leader Vettel likely will have his hands full, as Ferrari demonstrated in Silverstone. Fernando Alonso cruised to a dominant victory after Red Bull was slow in the pits, and the prancing horse should be a strong contender again in Germany. Last year at Hockenheim, controversy was abundant as Ferrari took the top two spots on the podium. Massa was ordered to give way to Alonso as the laps wound down, and the Ferrari squad had many questions to face after the race.
Alonso should be one of the favorites this weekend, as July is arguably his strongest time of the season. He has five career wins during the month, more than any other on the calendar. He's also won at Nurburgring twice, in 2005 and 2007.
For eight drivers, this will be the first time they've competed at this track in an F1 car. It's a challenging circuit that features elevation changes and a variety of corners. The first bend is a tight hairpin that leads into a slow set of left-handers. The cars also have a chance to stretch their legs on a very fast backstraight before heading to the finish line. In short, a well-balanced machine here is crucial.
Many teams have gotten the setup right at Nurburgring recently, as evidenced by the number of constructors that have won here. In the past six races there have been five teams that have come out on top: Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Renault and Williams. This season, however, the first three mentioned are the only ones with a true chance at victory.
