AVUS Circuit: The Autobahn’s Racing Past

Credit: Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-02916 / Großer Preis von Deutschland, AVUS, Berlin, 1926 / CC BY-SA 3.0 Germany – Wikimedia Commons

A circuit in Berlin, but now part of the Autobahn, few racetracks in history inspire both awe and fear like BERLIN’s AVUS.

AVUS operated from 1921 until 1998, and was unlike any other circuit of its time, today much of the old track has been absorbed into the A115 autobahn, carrying every day commuters over what was once a proving ground for speed and bravery.

Lets bring back some memories of AVUS, from its record breaking straights to its infamous crashes, it continues to captivate motorsport enthusiasts around the world.

A Road Ahead of Its Time

It all started back in 1907, when plans for a dedicated automobile road first took shape, but it opened in 1921, and it was revolutionary a public test road for vehicles, just like Nurburgring.

However, it was also a place to test drivers and push boundaries of speed, unlike winding circuits that dominate classic motorsport, AVUS was deceptively simple layout, parallel straight connected by curves at either end, if you look from above, it looks very slim.

This basic design made it one of the fastest tracks in the world, just like Indy circuits today, allowing cars to reach breathtaking velocities rarely seen at the time.

The Wall of Death

In 1937, the track gained its most infamous feature, the north banking, it was known as the ‘Wall of Death’, 43-degree concrete curve had no guardrails and posed a deadly challenge to drivers.

Cars hurtled into the banking at speed that seemed to defy physics, and one misjudgement could prove fatal, watching a car navigate the Wall of Death was both hypnotic and terrifying, a spectacle that drew crowds eager to witness machines flying perilously close to the edge.

Mercedes, Auto Union (NOW AUDI) and BMW brought their fastest cars here, chasing speed records in vehicles that looked more like bullets than conventional automobiles.

But later in 1967 that part of the track ‘Wall of Death’ was demolished and rebuild with a flat turn.

AVUS on the Grand Prix Stage

The track’s place in history was cemented when it hosted the first German GP in 1926, decades later, AVUS had its moment on the F1 world stage in 1959.

The one time F1 event was intended as a showcase of speed and engineering, but it quickly became a testament to the dangers inherent in such a high-velocity circuit.

That year, Ferrari dominated the weekend, Tony Brooks claimed victory, the man who won everywhere driving for Ferrari Dan Gurney finished in 2nd place, another Ferrari driver finished third, Phill Hill.

Jean Behra lost his life – AVUS 1959

The 1959 AVUS race weekend was marred by tragedy when French driver Jean Behra lost his life in a support sports car event the day before F1 GP. He was leading the race in his private Porsche RSK, he approaved the infamous 43-degree North Curve, but control lost on the steep banking.

His car went over the top and he was thrown from the cockpit, fatally striking a flagpole, the shock of his death reverberated through the paddock, leading Porsche to withdraw from the entire weekend out of respect.

Hans Herrmann’s Miraculous Escape

During the second heat of F1 weekend, German driver Hans Herrmann faced a terrifying moment that would define his career, at roughly 280 km/h, Herrmann car suffered brake failure.

Everyone was shocked in one moment, he made a split-second decision to steer into a protective how of hay bales, the heavy, wet bales launched the car into the air in a dramatic somersault.

Herrmann was thrown clear, sliding to a stop behind the wreckage, and remarkably emerged with only minor injuries.

F1 never came back

Folliwng the event, AVUS continued to host touring cars, and other motorsport series, but F1 never came back. The wall of death, once a symbol of raw courage, became increasingly incompatible with evolving safety standards.

The city around the track grew, and expectations for driver and spectator safety rose, by 1998, racing at AVUS had ended, its asphalt became part of the A115 motorway, transforming from a legendary track into a routine commuter road.

Traces of History Today

Time have passed, but remnants of AVUS still exist, the former race control tower has been repurposed as a restourant, and several grandstands are undergoing renovation.

Sections of the original southern loop remain visible in Berlins’ Grunewald forest, serving as silent reminders of a daring past, while the roar of engines has long since faded, the story of AVUS endures; a testament to human ambition, mechanical innovation and the thin line between speed and danger.

AVUS never forgotten

AVUS is more than just a piece of Berlin’s infrastructure, it embodies an era when racing was raw, thrilling and unforgiving.

The track tested the limits, and its crashes like the one of Herrmanns remain legendary, today’s drivers may never experience its challenges firsthand, but enthusiasts can still feel the pulse of its history beneath the pavement of the A115.