Changes to a race track’s layout are a common occurrence and it can happen for a variety of reasons. This happens to tracks of all shapes and sizes and the Nurburgring, arguably most famous race track in the world, is not exempt from it. It’s worth noting that the changes made to the ‘Ring were prompted by a horrific accident on the Nordschleife portion of the track during a VLN Endurance Championship race back in March 2015.
Officials of the race circuit released the full details of seven planned modifications for the track back in November 2015. Of those seven, only one was geared towards improving the track conditions, although the decision to drop the speed limit in certain sections of the track can also be tied into this. That change mainly involved smoothing out bumps along the Quiddelbacher Höhe and Flugplatz sections of the track. The other six improvements were made in the interest of beefing up fan safety. Most of these involve new safety fences, extended roads, and the creation of a restriction zone that will be closed to spectators.
Most of the upgrades have been completed, and ‘Ring aficionado and amateur racer “xthilox” took to the circuit to test out the improvements made on the track. If you’re familiar with the old layout of the Nurburgring, you’ll notice how the Leon Cupra DSG that was being used in the video managed to go through the Quiddelbacher and Flugplatz sections at greater speeds than before. The smoothing out of these sections also means the possibility that we won’t be seeing cars getting some air anymore. It might take away from the spectacle and mystique of the track, but from a safety standpoint, it was deemed important enough to warrant the modifications.
For now, these are the changes that have been made to the Nurburgring in time for the 2016 racing season. More upgrades are expected to be done as part of a three-stage plan that lasts through 2019. The thing is, neither the track’s owners, nor the FIA, have publicly announced what those changes are going to be.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
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