European Grand Prix Facts

By Andrew Hooper
June 16 2002

 

 

  
European GP: Facts & Figures
 
• For the 2002 race, the circuit has changed again. The Mercedes-Arena with five new corners three left-handers and two right-handers has been added and replaces the former first two corners of the lap - the Castrol-S, the location of numerous start accidents. The new track length is 5.139 kilometres (3.193 miles) but still subject to an official FIA measurement. The former track length was 4.556 km (2.832 miles)

• The Nürburgring track has been built alongside the old circuit, known as the Nordschleife, which is an amazing 14.19 miles (22.83 kilometres long). The last time the old circuit was used to host a Formula One race was the German Grand Prix in 1976 when Niki Lauda’s horrendous accident, that nearly claimed his life, caused it to be removed from the calendar.

• The spectator capacity has been increased from 142,000 up to 152,000.

• When the Nordschleife is not busy with touring car races, fans can drive their road cars round the old circuit.

• WilliamsF1 has 108 wins in its history, while BMW have won 14 GPs. Two of those victories were celebrated at the Nürburgring when Jacques Villeneuve won in 1996 and 1997 in a WilliamsF1-Renault. BMW has not recorded a Formula One race victory at the Nürburgring so far.

• In 2001, the European GP for the first time saw both the drivers of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team finishing in the points. Juan Pablo started from third and finished in second place. Ralf was second on the grid. Due to a ‘stop-and-go’ penalty he lost two positions and finished fourth.

• 2001 Juan Pablo set a new lap record with 1.18,354 min which will now never be beaten as the track length has been extended.

• Back in 1993, Ralf has achieved his first victory in at the Nürburgring, driving a Formula BMW Junior car. This remains his only victory on his home circuit. Putting Formula Junior races, Formula 3 and the F1 GP since 1997 together, Ralf has contested 16 races at the Nürburgring to date.

• In 1984 the first European Grand Prix was held at the new track. The following year the German Grand Prix returned to the Nürburgring. To date this has been the last of the 23 German Grands Prix held at the Nürburgring. In total six European Grands Prix have been run at the track and two Luxembourg Grands Prix.

• On Wednesday prior to the race Ralf Schumacher traditionally invites the members of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team to an internal race at the karting centre in Kerpen, owned by his brother Michael. (There is no media access to karting centre.)

• The 60-lap race gets underway at 14.00 local time (12.00 GMT) on 23rd June.
 
 
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