Main straight of Hockenheimring

Formula 1 made its debut in the Motodrom in 1970 – the winner was Jochen Rindt in a Lotus-Ford. Since 1977, the Grand Prix has made appearances in North Baden every year — with the exceptions of 1985 when it was held on the Nürburgring’s new GP circuit, and 2007, when the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring was the only Formula 1 race in Germany. Since then, both circuits take turns as the venue for the German GP.

The Hockenheim circuit was opened in 1932 as a triangular track for motorbike races. Six years later, it was rebuilt into an oval racetrack named “Palatinate Ring”. The first car race was staged here in the same year. In 1957, the Hockenheimring was for the first time the scene of a race counting towards the World Championship in motorbike racing. Today’s Motodrome was built between 1963 and 1965, to be modified at a later stage by the addition of chicanes on the straights and before the east bend. When the circuit was shortened before the 2002 race, it lost the characteristic long straights through the forest and the “Ostkurve” (eastern corner).