LOR Trackguide Nuerburgring Pflanzgarten
Contents
First Corner (Right hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 122 mph [197 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 78 mph [126 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 6 minutes 17.72 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 3.49 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 6 minutes 21.21 seconds
This right hander is tricky because of the severe downhill run into it which then transitions into an uphill climb through the corner. The key is to brake gently. Hard braking will push the car down into the ground and you'll bottom out and lose control at this transition. The slight uphill climb through the corner will allow you to get round it without much braking. Remember this as you approach the turn.
You'll be up to third gear as you come to the downhill dip of the track. Line up on the left side for the entrance to the turn. Just as you reach the beginning of the downhill start to brake gently. Continue to brake all the way into the turn. This gentle braking will also help you to rotate the car into the corner once you start turning the wheel, thus allowing a faster cornering speed. Once you have slowed down enough, shift down to second gear. You'll start to turn in almost immediately after the downshift. Aim for a late apex and gradually release the brakes as you approach it. Balance the car on the power as you go by the apex and then start adding some more power as you begin to exit. Make sure you don't go too far to the left on the exit or the next turn will be more difficult than it needs to be. The late apex will help you stay near the middle of the track as you exit.
Second Corner (Right hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 92 mph [148 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 90 mph [145 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 6 minutes 22.07 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 1.20 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 6 minutes 23.27 seconds
This right hander is fairly straight forward and requires no braking. Use the power to help turn the car here. You'll be in second gear as you leave the previous turn. Get back to full throttle on the short straight between the two turns. There isn't really a good turn in reference point here, so experience will be your guide. However the previous right hander and this right hander are connected with a shallow arc. So drift out to the middle of the track and then slowly start bringing the car back in for this apex and you'll be pretty close. A mid to late apex is the goal here, again allowing for an exit near the middle of the track. Just before reaching the apex, shift up to third gear. The brief release of the power as you shift will help bring the car into the turn. Then as you go past the apex try to add some more power. You may not get back to full power on the exit, but that is not important. A good line into the following left hander is more important than a full throttle exit from this one.
Third Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 100 mph [161 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 95 mph [153 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 6 minutes 24.64 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 2.30 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 6 minutes 26.94 seconds
This left hander is taken in third gear with just a tap of the brakes. A mid apex is what you're aiming for here. Going wide on the exit will really hurt you into the following turn. As it's easy to overdo the entry to this corner a wide exit is quite common.
As you leave the previousturn aim for the middle of the track. Once there continue across towards the left side. You should reach it just as you clear the ever-so-slight bump in the track, which is also the beginning of the apex of the corner. Tap the brakes just as you reach the apex and then get back on the power to maintain your speed. As you exit let the car drift out to the right. Don't add any more power until you reach the edge of the track. Once there get back to full power and continue down the track staying to the right.
Fourth Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 115 mph [185 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 103 mph [166 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 6 minutes 28.52 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 2.66 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 6 minutes 31.18 seconds
This left hander is tricky because 75% of the car gets airborne. Most of the time the rear of the car will leave the track and the front will stay on the track. This will greatly exaggerate any steering inputs. Obviously the rear of the car will be completely loose and therefore if when the rear wheels come back down onto the track at any sort of angle you'll spin quite easily.So you need to slow down enough beforehand and also go over the crest of the hill in a straight line, which can be difficult as you're in a turn.
You'll be in third gear as you approach this turn. Get back to full acceleration and make sure you are near the right side of the track. During the race the flag marshal makes a great braking reference marker. However during practice he's not there, so you need to rely upon where you think he would be. The two trees on the left are also a good reference point, but they do take your attention away from the turn. Regardless of what you use, as you reach the flag marshal, or trees, brake moderately and begin to bring the car over towards the left. The track start to go downhill when you start to brake. It also has a little camber which will help you through the turn.
You'll be taking a late apex in third gear, which you should reach just before the track starts going downhill with a vengeance This is where you rear wheels will come off the ground. Keep a steady throttle, one that is fairly minimal and start down this new hill in a straight line, aiming slightly towards the right. If you try to stay to the left you'll spin when your rear wheels touch down again. You'll be pretty close to the right when you touch down. As soon as you can add a little more power to balance the car and then once it feels steady increase the power to full and start moving across to the left side of the track. Under race conditions you'll have to take this turn slightly slower and will also have to wait much longer before getting the power down again because the extra weight of 15 laps of fuel will cause the car to bottom out and spin off the track if you are going too fast.
Fifth Corner (Right-Left esses)
- Entrance speed: approximately 110 mph [177 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 100* mph [161* kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 6 minutes 32.20 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 7.48 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 6 minutes 39.68 seconds
(*After reaching this speed you gradually increase your speed through the rest of the esses.)
The esses are all about the first one. Get a good entrance into it and you'll be able to take a good fast line through the rest of them. A bad entry will mean you'll have to slow down a lot to stay on the track or drive all over the grass. This may seem okay, but will cost you time.
Move the car towards the left after the previous turn, staying in third gear. The racing groove gets darker, then lightens for a moment before darkening again and heading into the corner.
Use this light section of the groove as a marker to ease off the power and start turning into the first ess. A late apex at this first bend should be your goal. Use as much power as you can without spinning the rear wheels or pushing the front away from the apex.
You'll have to keep adjusting the amount of power you are putting down as you go through this first bend. Once through this bend the track crests another hill and the rest of the esss appear before you. You should be near the middle of the track as you crest this hill. Then aim for the second ess, again taking a late apex. You'll be able to add a little more power now as this bend opens up more than the first one.
The third bend is longer than the previous two and can therefore be taken under much more acceleration. However, third gear can still cause a lot of wheelspin as you turn the car, so shift up a gear as you come into this bend. Because of the length of the third bend a mid-apex works well. Once at this apex you should be able to get back to full power. Finally, aim for the last bend, taking a late apex under full acceleration. If all went well you should be lined up on the left side of the track as you exit the esses. In race trim you'll have to take these turns much slower the first few laps as your car will be less responsive to turning and too high a speed will see you mowing the grass, and possibly running into the fencing.
Sixth Corner (Right hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 145 mph [234 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 80 mph [129 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 6 minutes 41.64 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 4.53 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 6 minutes 46.17 seconds
This right hander can be challenging because of the right hand bend that comes at almost the exact moment you need to start braking. If you make it past that, you then have to contend with the crest of a hill just past the apex with the walls of a bridge on either side. But forgetting all that it's quite easy really.
You'll be in fourth gear under full acceleration as you approach this turn. Stay near the left side of the track after the esses. Then as you reach the beginning of the right hand bend, brake fairly hard. Just before braking turn the car slightly so that you are pointing a little more towards the right. this will put you on the correct line for the actual turn without you having to turn while braking. Carefully downshift once the engine revs are low enough; shifting too soon could upset the rear wheels causing a slide into the turn.
You'll have reached second gear by the time the racing groove starts to turn. Following the groove into the turn, easing off the brakes fairly quickly as you do so. Not too much trail-braking is wanted here as the camber and incline of the track will help slow you down. The rear of the car will be light after you turn in, another reason for not using too much trail-braking, so add a little power to steady it.
The apex comes quite early, and isn't actually that close to the edge of the track. You may feel safer staying near the right side of the track a little longer, and therefore apexing quite close to it. This is fine as long as you don't go too far to the left as you exit the turn. Just as you go over the crest of the hill on the bridge, add a little power to plant the rear wheels. Then back off a hair once you're over the bridge before getting back to full power leaving the bridge and going up the following hill.
