LOR Trackguide Nuerburgring Bergwerk
First Corner (Right hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 130 mph [210 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 65 mph [105 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 3 minutes 53.08 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 7.15 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 4 minutes 0.23 seconds
This one is all about trail-braking. You need to get the car to rotate into the corner or you'll have to start braking far sooner than necessary in order to get round the turn. As you come off the previous turn in fourth gear, get back to full acceleration and move over to the left side of the track. The racing groove once again makes an excellent brake marker. It's a good thing that GPL doesn't create the groove based on where all the cars actually drive for each race or we'd lose a lot of the brake markers!
Several car lengths before reaching the groove brake as hard as possible and start downshifting to second gear. As you continue in a straight line towards the corner look for the part of the track where the groove lightens. At this point start to turn in and ease off the brakes slightly. This is where your trail-braking skills will come in handy. If you get off the brakes too quickly, you'll just understeer off the track. So very gradually come off the brakes in a smooth motion that sees you completely off them just before reaching the apex of the turn. Be prepared for the car to rotate quite a lot as you do this. However, all this rotation will get you into the apex properly and quickly.
You'll be hitting the apex about midway through the corner. As you come off the brakes just before reaching it, get back on the power to balance the car through the rest of the turn. Stay right against the inside edge of the corner until you see the track starting to straighten out ahead of you. Then slowly begin to increase your acceleration and let the car drift out to the left. Aim to reach full acceleration and the left side of the track at about the same time, which is when you pass the small right hand bend that follows the turn. If you get to the edge of the track any sooner this bend becomes a problem. Also if you get back to full acceleration too soon you may spin as you leave the turn.
Okay, about half a lap to go now!
Second Corner (Long, multiple left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 120 mph [193 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 140* mph [226* kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 4 minutes 2.98 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 8.23 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 4 minutes 11.21 seconds
(*You gradually increase to approximately average this speed through the turn.)
This long left hander is composed of several left hand bends, all of which have about the same radius. They are quite fun and can just about be taken flat in qualifying trim if you hit the first few just right. During the race you won't be able to take them flat as the extra fuel weight will have you understeering off the track. This is something you do not want to do as the hill on the right will probably upset the car's balance a little if you try driving up it.
You should be able to get into third gear before the first left hand bend. This bend has a slight bump to it. Use this bump to shift up to fourth gear. You should be pretty close to redline by the time you reach the bump, and if you go over it in third you'll just bump the engine up and over its rev-limit and possibly damage it. So shift up as you reach the bump.
Next move the car over to the right side of the track in order to start an arc that you will take through the following turns. The next bend is very easy, but you need to have the car back against the left side when you pass its apex. Make sure you don't get right next to the grass, however, or you'll be in the wrong position for the following turn, which is the critical one for taking this sequence flat. So aim for a few feet away from the grass as you apex this small bend.
The third bend in the sequence is the crucial one. You need to turn into this one so that you take the apex with your left front just touching the grass. Use full wheel lock if you have to. The following bend also needs to see you touching the grass with your left front as you pass the apex. When you are between the two turns you have to make the decision as to whether you can take the rest of the sequence flat or not. If you are too far out to touch the grass with your left front at the apex, then you'll have to back off. If you can make it, then keep your foot down.
After these two bends you can start to straighten out a little. You are aiming to be on the right side of the track and going in a straight line when you crest the hill just after the final left hand bend. You may be understeering a little if you are taking the turns flat, so don't straighten out too soon. As you go over the crest of the hill you'll need to back off as you are very close to redline in fourth gear. The rear of the car gets very light going over the hill and you will risk spinning the wheels at full throttle, as well as damaging the engine as it revs too high. Shifting to fifth is a possibility, but as fifth is probably significantly taller than fourth it's not really worth it just yet.
Third Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 150-155 mph [242-250 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 140 mph [226 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 4 minutes 12.68 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 1.95 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 4 minutes 14.63 seconds
This fast left hander can almost be taken flat, but you do need to be careful because a bad line through it can see you completely off the track at the exit. After clearing the hill at the exit of the previous left handers get over to the right side of the track. You want to be millimeters away from the grass to make the turn.
Stay in fourth gear and keep accelerating. Just after the racing groove darkens start to turn into the apex. You'll want to hit it about midway through the turn. The car will want to understeer right when you turn in and also when you reach the apex. So as you turn in, ease off the power a little. If you can get back to full power for a moment before reaching the apex, then do so. If not try to keep a steady amount of power on, about 90% of maximum. As you pass the apex, tighten the wheel up to keep you on the road for the exit. Get back to full power and go right to the edge of the track. As you reach the edge of the track you may get a little oversteer, so be prepared to correct for it if it happens. Then accelerate as hard as possible towards the following right hand corner.
