LOR Trackguide Nuerburgring Hatzenbach
Contents
First Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 124 mph [200 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 124 mph [200 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 56.32 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 1.08 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 57.40 seconds
This left hander is relatively simple. However, as your line through it will determine how well you can take the following two corners, it deserves a brief explanation.
You'll be in third gear after exiting the previous right hander, with the car near the left edge of the track. Move a few more feet towards the middle as you continue towards this turn under full acceleration. This turn can be taken with just a slight lift. Hit the apex early, and lift slightly off the power as you do so. The track drops away a little at the exit, so be prepared for the car to slide out to the right as you add some power. Your two goals upon exiting this turn are to be as close to the right edge of the track as possible and to be going in a perfectly straight line parrallel to the grass. Achieving these will make the entrance into the following corner significantly easier.
Second Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 127 mph [205 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 65 mph [105 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 58.34 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 2.66 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 1 minute 1.00 seconds
Approach
The trick to this corner is getting the entrance right. The track is going downhill as you come into the corner, so if you brake too hard you may start sliding. This is not that bad as you can slide into the corner without losing much time or control. However if you overshoot the turn you'll run up onto the high bank and get into all sorts of trouble. You should be on the right side of the track as you come into the braking zone. There is really nothing to use as a reference marker here, so you need to know when you should brake from experience. Start braking between one third and one half of the way down the straight, downshift to second, and make sure you don't start sliding.
Apex
You should follow the
racing groove all the way into the corner, getting off the
brakes as you turn in. The track has a slight camber to it at the turn-in point
which helps you make the apex at the middle of the turn without braking right
into it.
Exit
After passing the apex begin to move towards the middle of the track. As you do so be aware of the slight bump which may cause you to slide to the right a little more. Try to stay near the middle of the track and then add some power for a moment before the next turn.
Third Corner (Right hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 65 mph [105 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 45 mph [73 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 1 minute 1.68 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 2.79 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 1 minute 4.47 seconds
This is a second gear right hander which you need to make sure you turn into early. If you wait you'll run wide onto the grass and lose lots of time. You'll be in second gear near the middle of the track after the previous turn. As this one follows immediately you'll only be able to add a little bit of power between the two before braking. Tap the brakes very gently just before the racing groove darkens at the turn-in point. Then once off the brakes, turn in. You can use the grass as a curb here a little if you need to. Hit the apex early, and maintain a steady throttle as you hug the inside edge until you reach the midpoint of the turn. Then start drifting out to the left, increasing the power as you exit. You never really get going straight after the exit, so being smooth out of the turn is vital.
Fourth Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 90 mph [145 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 65-70 mph [105-113 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 1 minute 7.02 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 1.87 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 1 minute 8.89 seconds
This left hander is another second gear turn, very similar to the previous one. There is a slight right hande bend in the track just prior to this corner which presents no problems. Just make sure you end up on the right side of the track after you pass the bend.
The exit of this turn is important because if you go too wide you'll have a very hard time with the following two turns. So make sure you take a line through the corner which allows you to be in the middle of the track as you exit. The racing groove is dark at the apex of the right hand bend, then lightens once again.
A short dark section follows which can be used as a braking reference point. Brake very gently for a moment, and carefully start turning in. After you get off the brakes you should be keeping a steady amount of power on throughout the entire turn.
You want to inscribe a large arc through this corner. Turn in too much too soon and you'll be all over the grass on the inside. Turn in too much too late and you'll be very slow through the corner as well as the following two corners. Your large arc should see you hitting the apex midway through the turn. As you exit, let the car drift out towards the middle of the track. Once there you may have a fraction of a second to add some power, but don't make this a priority. A clean exit line is far more important.
Fifth Corner (Right hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 70-75 mph [113-121 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 55 mph [89 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 1 minute 9.70 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 2.38 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 1 minute 12.08 seconds
This corner follows immediately from the previous one. It's sort of a connecting corner, with no one part more important than another. So try to be smooth and carry as much speed as possible through it. You'll be in second gear near the middle of the track as you exit the previous turn. Increase the power for a moment before tapping the brakes very lightly as the racing groove darkens. You don't really need a reference marker here, just accelerate, beat, tap the brakes and then turn in.
Aim for an apex near the middle of the turn, using the grass as a small curb. As you go through the turn, try and maintain a constant amount of power. As you exit you may be able to add a little bit more power, but that shouldn't be your main objective. Let the car move over towards the left half of the track as you exit. Don't go too far, however, or you'll have a really hard time getting through the following corner.
Sixth Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 60 mph [97 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 40-45 mph [65-73 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 1 minute 12.25 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 2.61 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 1 minute 14.86 seconds
The exit of this corner is important, you want to get as much acceleration out of the turn as possible to help you down the following straight. However, as the straight is not that long don't sacrifice too much speed through the corner in your attempt at gaining top speed down the straight. A common mistake exiting this corner is to not use all of the track. Make sure you go right to the grass on the right side of the track as you exit.
The entrance to this corner is similar to the previous several turns. You'll be able to blip the power for a moment, before tapping the brakes and shifting down to first. The downshift is optional, but I find it helps to get a slightly faster exit. Your line out of the previous turn should leave you going at a slight angle across the track. Use this to hit the apex just before midway through the turn. Keep a constant amount of power on as you leave the apex. Then once you are about half way across the track start to increase your acceleration, while letting the car slide right out to the right side of the track. As you reach the grass quickly get back to full acceleration. This may cause a slight slide, but correct and then shift up to second gear. The slight slide will also help to kick the rear of the car out, pointing your car towards the left side of the track, minimizing the amount of steering needed down the straight.
Seventh Corner (Right hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 93 mph [150 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 50 mph [81 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 1 minute 17.70 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 4.25 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 1 minute 21.95 seconds
The entrance to this corner is what's important here. Brake too late and you go wide, and brake too early and you're slow. The track is going ever-so-slightly downhill as you enter the corner, but then develops a slight camber to help you round it. A good balance between braking and power is needed to get a good fast line here.
Move the car over to the left side of the track, as you approach the corner under full acceleration in second gear. The racing groove will darken abruptly. After it does so, wait a moment, then brake hard. Continue to use the groove as a reference point, and when it gets slightly darker, turn in and ease off the brakes a little. Trail brake right into the apex, using less and less brake pressure. When you arrive at the apex, just past the middle of the turn, you should be completely off the brakes. Start to add a little bit of power just before reaching the apex. This will help to balance the car and keep it in tight to the apex. Let the car move out towards the middle of the track as you try to get back to full power at the exit. You may not achieve full power, but you should have a good straight exit line.
Eight Corner (Left hander)
- Entrance speed: approximately 70-75 mph [113-121 kph]
- Speed through the corner: approximately 75 mph [121 kph]
- Arrival time at the corner: 1 minute 22.86 seconds
- Time to negotiate the corner: 2.09 seconds
- Exit time of the corner: 1 minute 24.95 seconds
This corner is definitely all about exit speed. It has a difficult entrance, as the track turns sharply downhill just as you turn into the corner. There is a slight camber to the track which will help you in the beginning of the turn, however, this flattens out at the exit. After leaving the previous corner you'll be in second gear near the middle of the track. Try to accelerate as much as possible before backing off for this turn. You don't need to brake at all here, instead as the track starts downhill, turn in to the edge of the track. You should be able to keep a slight amount of power on as you turn in. As you get close to the apex, back off the power a little to avoid understeering away from it. Once you reach the apex, gently begin to add power. You don't want to leave the apex until late in the turn in order to help with acceleration onto the following straight. As you pass the bushes on your left the track will flatten out, so try to have as much of the turn completed as possible by this point. The car will push out to the right a little as well, so if you are too far to the right you risk getting tangled up in the bushes. You should now be able to get up to full acceleration. This will be slightly difficult to do as your right rear wheel may try to spin faster than the left depending upon your clutch settings. But keep the power down and don't grab third gear until you're settled in second and have hit redline.
