Aerial photograph of Hockenheimring by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. (credit links at the end of the content)
We still love the old Hockenheimring because it was one of the most distinctive circuits in motorsport history. Unlike modern tracks built around compact spectator areas, the classic Hockenheim layout sent racing cars deep into the German forest, where enormous straights were separated by fast corners and heavy braking zones.
For decades, the circuit represented speed in its most extreme form, F1 cars disappeared from the stadium, accelerated through the trees and returned several minutes later to the noise of the grandstands, today, much of that famous circuit has disappeared.
The long forest section was removed during the controversial 2002 redevelopment, transforming Hockenheimring from a huge 6.8 km circuit into the much shorter layout used today, the Motodrom survived, but most of the legendary forest lap became history.
The Origins of the Hockenheimring
The story of Hockenheim began in 1932, when the first motorcycle race was held at the newly constructed venue, the original circuit was very different from the F1 track that would later become famous, major changes followed in 1938, creating the foundation of the long, high speed circuit that eventually became associated with Hockenheim.
A major transformation arrived during the 1960s when the famous Motodrom was created, it gave Hockenheim its unmistakable stadium character.
Instead of being entirely focused on the forest sections, the circuit now had a compact, spectator friendly stadium complex where fans could watch the cars closely, this created the basic personality of Hockenheim that F1 fans would know for decades.
The circuit effectively had two personalities, the forest section was about speed, acceleration, the motodrom was about braking, corners and traction, the contrast became the defining feature of Hockenheim.
Formula 1 Arrives at Hockenheim
F1 first raced at Hockenheim in 1970, when Jochen Rindt won the German GP for Lotus Ford.
But F1 continued to race at the Nürburgring for the German Grand Prix until 1976. As Formula 1 became increasingly serious about driver safety, the championship moved to Hockenheim in the late 1970s, and the circuit soon became one of the most recognizable venues on the F1 calendar.
By the 1980s and 1990s, the old Hockenheimring had become an extraordinary high-speed challenge, the layout measured approximately 6.8 kilometers, with a substantial portion of the lap taking place away from the main spectator areas, teams had to make difficult aerodynamic compromises.
Running lower downforce could make the cars much faster along the enormous straights, but it reduced aerodynamic grip in the slower corners, adding more wing helped in the Motodrom but increased drag and made the car vulnerable on the long runs through the forest.
Why Was the Old Hockenheimring Abandoned?
The old circuit wasn’t simply abandoned because it had become too dangerous, several different pressures came together.
By the late 1990s, the 6.8 km layout was increasingly difficult to justify from a spectator and commercial perspective, Hockenheim’s official history notes that the old circuit was considered too long and that sections through the forest were inaccessible to spectators, plans for a shorter circuit began in 1999, there was also the changing philosophy of circuit safety.
F1 was demanding modern facilities, improved spectator access and layouts that could accommodate the increasingly sophisticated requirements of a Grand Prix weekend, the old Hockenheimring had been designed for a different era.
The Controversial 2002 Redesign
The development was carried out under the direction of renowned circuit designer Hermann Tilke, the old forest section was cut away and replaced by a much shorter configuration.
The new Grand Prix circuit measured 4.574 km, dramatically reducing the distance covered during each lap.
The new layout retained the opening section and Motodrom but removed the huge FOrest runs that had defined Hockenheim for decades.
The change was permanent, the 2001 German GP became the final F1 race on the famous long configuration.
What Happened to the Old Forest Section?
This is what makes the story of Hockenheim particularly fascinating, the old circuit wasn’t simply closed and left untouched.
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Much of the former racing surface was removed during the redevelopment, and the surrounding area returned toward a natural forest environment.
Where F1 cars once travelled at enormous speed, there are now trees, grass and sections of landscape that no longer resemble a Grand Prix circuit, that means the old Hockenheimring cannot simply be reopened for a historic race, much of the track physically no longer exist.
The Ostkurve Became Part of History
The Ostkurve was one of the defining features of the old Hockenheimring, it formed the far end of the forest section before the cars turned back toward the stadium, after the development, the old corner ceased to be part of the F1 lap.
Today, remnants of the former circuit can still be associated with the surrounding landscape, but the complete racing environment of the old Hockenheimring has disappeared, it is a ghost of the circuit that once stood there!
What Survived? The Motodrom
The most important surviving part is the Motodrom, the stadium section remains part of the modern Hockenheimring and provides a physical connection with the circuit remembered from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
This is why the modern venue can still feel strangely familiar to older fans, the cars still enter the stadium, the grandstands still surround the circuit.
But once they leave that area, they no longer disappear into the forest as they once did.
Why Fans Still Love the Old Hockenheimring?
The old Hockenheimring remains beloved because it represented a very different approach to circuit design, it was long, fast and difficult.
Its enormous straights created slipstream battles, while the Motodrom demanded completely different driving techniques, the atmosphere was equally unusual.
A car could leave a packed stadium and suddenly enter the quiet forest, disappearing from the view of thousands of spectators before returning at speed, that contrast gave Hockenheim an identity that cannot simply be recreated by drawing another circuit on a map!
A Lost Circuit That Still Exists in Memory
The old Hockenheimring is therefore not completely forgotten, even though much of it has disappeared, its history survives in photographs, television broadcasts, onboard footage and the memories of drivers and spectators.
The Jim Clark memorial remains an important reminder of the circuit’s past, while the surviving Motodrom connects today’s Hockenheim with its former identity, but the enormous forest straights are gone.
There are no modern F1 cars disappearing into those trees, there is no complete 6.8 km lap waiting to be driven again, the forest has reclaimed much of the space where of F1’s most distinctive circuits once existed.
Related: The story of the old Hockenheimring is part of a much larger history of Formula 1 circuits that have disappeared, been shortened, or completely transformed over the years. You can also explore our story about forgotten Formula 1 circuits that are now abandoned.
The Ghost of the Old Hockenheimring
The classic Hockenheimring was ultimately changed because the demands of modern F1 had changed, safety expectations had evolved, spectator access had become more important, the economics of hosting a Grand Prix demanded modern facilities and greater capacity.
The 2002 redevelopment addressed many of those challenges, but it also removed the very features that had made Hockenheim legendary.
That is the old Hockenheimring remains such a powerful part of motorsport history, the circuit wasn’t simply demolished, an entire style of F1 racing disappeared with it.
Today, only parts of that world remain, the modern Hockenheimring is still alive, but deep in the German forest, the old circuit has become something else, a ghost track remembered through photographs, racing footage and the fans who watched F1 disappear into the trees!
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FEATURED IMAGE CREDITS: Aerial photograph of Hockenheimring by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
I am so old I got to see cars race on this old track (in 1967 and 1971). I have even visited the marker where Jim Clark died. It is so sad to lose these great tracks that are a huge part of racing history!
Wow, that must have been something to see back in ’67 and ’71. The old Hockenheim had such a unique feel with those endless straights through the forest. Visiting Jim Clark’s marker must have been emotional too. It really is sad how many of those great tracks are gone, but stories like yours keep them alive for the rest of us.
Right before Agip, where the old Clubtrack entered the GP-course, stading at the fence, is where I was engaged in 1991, accompanied by screaming V10s and V12s! Not married to her anymore though, but hey… still kinda cool 8)
That’s such a brilliant memory! Even if the marriage didn’t last, getting engaged with the sound of V10s and V12s in the background is something truly special, the kind of story only Hockenheim could give.