NÜRBURGRING HINTS AND TIPS

Planning a trip to the world’s most challenging racetrack? Here’s how to make the most of it

PETER DUMBRECK Professional racing driver, EV lap record holder (6:45.90, Nio EP9)

1 If you’re a novice, why destroy your own car? Hire one instead. Get a coach, too – you’ll progress quicker.

2 Set your own pace. Learn the track a few corners or a section at a time.

3 Simulators can shortcut the process a lot, whether that’s at home on the PlayStation or somewhere professional like Base Performance.

4 Whether racing there or doing an organised trackday, at first just aim to survive. It’s so easy to push too hard and make a mistake, and the penalty for going off is big.

5 Traffic is the hardest thing at the Ring. You’ll always have drivers of different abilities. Try to stay cool.

RON SIMONS RSRNurburg.com, Nürburgring trackday and car hire specialist

1 Come with the right mindset and leave your ego at home.

2 The third dimension [the vertical element] is nothing like what any picture or video will show you and it is responsible for many horrific accidents.

3 PlayStation and Xbox certainly help. However, the real thing is not only very different but it also doesn’t take prisoners. There’s no restart button in real life.

4 Remember: on any other track, driving over the limit makes you slower; driving over the limit at the Nürburgring makes you crash!

5 The infamous tourist sessions [Touristenfahrten] can be great value for money. If you have the required skill for the wet then come and drive in the off-season period since there’s almost no traffic, and no bikes.

DARREN LANGEVELD destination-nurburgring.com, Nürburgring trackday specialist

1 Know who’s running the event. There are many websites passing off trackdays as their own, and standards across Europe vary, so always check the date you’ve seen against the official nuerburgring.de website to see who the organiser really is.

2 Know the Nordschleife before you go. To get good value from a trackday you really need to have some real-life knowledge. Having some public Touristenfahrten sessions under your belt will help.

3 Ring trackdays aren’t expensive when you consider you can easily achieve 30 laps on a well-run event.

4 Prepare your car before you go. Sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed how many folk don’t think about the basics.

5 Know your own limits. The Nordschleife is an amazing place to spend time and we’re all enthusiasts. Trackdays are fun, no doubt about it, but try to keep a safety margin; drive at

nine-tenths.

ADAM TOWLER

Deputy editor, evo

1 Need fuel? Go to the ED-Tankstelle on the B258 down from the main entrance and not only get some super unleaded, but also a model of a Group C Porsche. Your wallet has been officially warned.

2 Don’t go the boring autobahn way, always cut across via Spa Francorchamps. The atmosphere is incredible and there’ll often be something going around at Spa.

3 Take some time out to spectate: it’s easy to get to the large Brünnchen viewing area, and there’s usually plenty of action there.

4 Head to the Pistenklause restaurant in the evening and admire the awesome Ring memorabilia while cooking your own steak on a scalding hot stone.

5 Stop at the Meuspath industrial estate – it’s home to some interesting race outfits and car makers, so there’s always lots to see, including the odd prototype.