Track guide · road course
Hockenheimring
Hockenheimring at a glanceChecked 2026-09-10
- Length
- 4.574 km2.842 mi
- Turns
- 17
- Opened
- 1932
- Capacity
- 120,000
- Location
- Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg
- Type
- road course
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Owner
- City of Hockenheim (Hockenheim-Ring GmbH)
- Address
- Am Motodrom
- Phone
- +49 6205 950-222
- Website
- hockenheimring.de/en
Track map and layout
Hockenheimring's current configuration dates to a 2002 Hermann Tilke redesign that replaced the circuit's old high-speed forest loop through the Hardtwald with a tighter, more technical infield, shortening the lap to 4.574 km with 17 corners. The lap opens onto the long Parabolika straight leading into the Mercedes-Arena chicane, then heads into a stadium-style final sector where the Motodrom's tightly packed grandstands surround several corners at once, giving spectators views of much of the closing laps from a single seat. The forest section that once made Hockenheim one of the fastest circuits on the F1 calendar is now mostly closed to racing, though remnants of the old track survive as public roads and cycle paths.
Named corners and sections
Mercedes-Arena.
A tight chicane at the end of the Parabolika straight, added in the 2002 redesign as the circuit's primary overtaking and braking zone.
Sachskurve.
A fast right-hander leading into the stadium section, named after German driver Bernd Rosemeyer's contemporaries; a key setup corner for the final sector.
Nordkurve.
The tight final corner of the lap, leading back onto the start-finish straight inside the Motodrom stadium.
Spitzkehre.
A slow hairpin in the stadium infield, one of the lap's few genuine overtaking spots alongside the Mercedes-Arena.
Configurations
Grand Prix Circuit (2002-present)
4.57 km17 turns; current F1/DTM layout
Old Grand Prix Circuit (forest layout, pre-2002)
6.82 km6.823 km; used the long Hardtwald forest straights before the 2002 redesign removed them for safety and spectator visibility
National Circuit
2.46 kmshorter stadium-only configuration used for some club and support races
Events and race weekends
Hockenheimring has long alternated the German Grand Prix with the Nürburgring, most recently hosting Formula 1 in 2019, and remains a leading candidate to return to the calendar. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) has raced there since 2000 and closes its season at Hockenheim most years. ADAC Hockenheim Historic gathers historic single-seaters and touring cars each spring, and NitrOlympX, one of Europe's biggest drag racing meetings, has run on the circuit's dragstrip since 1986.
DTM Hockenheim (season finale)
DTMtraditional season-closing round
Annual eventWhenOCTOctoberADAC Hockenheim Historic
Historic racinghistoric F1, touring cars and motorcycles
Annual eventWhenMAYNitrOlympX
European Drag Racing Championshiprun on the dedicated dragstrip
Annual eventWhenAUGAugustInternational GT Open
GT OpenAnnual eventWhenSEPSeptemberHockenheim Classics
Historic/club racingAnnual eventWhenSEPSeptember
Getting there and parking
Hockenheim sits in the Rhine valley of northern Baden-Württemberg, about 20 km south of Mannheim and close to Heidelberg. Hockenheim's own railway station, on the Mannheim-Karlsruhe line, is a short walk or shuttle from the circuit and the easiest way in for fans without a car, with direct connections from Mannheim (around 20 minutes) and onward links from Heidelberg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Road access is via the A6 and A61 autobahns, which back up heavily around race sessions on major event weekends.
- FRAFrankfurt Airport (FRA)about 75 mindrive
- STRStuttgart Airport (STR)about 78 mindrive
Parking
General parking fields surround the circuit and are typically included with event tickets; arriving early is recommended for DTM and other big race weekends.
TipTake the train to Hockenheim station rather than driving for busy weekends — it sits close to the circuit gates and avoids the worst of the A6/A61 traffic.
Hotels and camping near Hockenheimring
Hockenheim town itself has limited hotel stock, so many visitors base themselves in Heidelberg (about 20 minutes away) for its far larger range of hotels and guesthouses, or in Mannheim, which offers easy rail access back to the circuit. Rooms in both cities rise in price and book out around DTM and any Formula 1 weekends.
Where to look
Heidelberg and Mannheim offer the widest choice of hotels within about 20-30 minutes' drive; Hotel Motodrom provides on-site accommodation directly at the circuit.
Camping
Camping areas operate around the circuit for major race weekends, with fields close to the main grandstands used by fans wanting to stay on-site.
RV
Motorhome and caravan parking is available in designated fields for race weekends, bookable alongside event tickets.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Hockenheimring runs its own program of driving experiences, race taxi rides and tourist laps (Race'n'Roll) for the public, plus an on-site e-kart track, and hosts numerous third-party car and motorcycle track days throughout the season on both the Grand Prix and shorter National circuits.
Who runs days here
- Hockenheimring (Race'n'Roll driving experiences and race taxi)both
- Bridgestone Driving Experiencecar
- GEDLICH Racingcar
Typical cost: Tourist/experience laps and race taxi rides from roughly €50-€150 depending on car and number of laps; open track days from around €150-€250 per day
New to track days? Our beginner guides, costs and gear →
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 (current Grand Prix circuit) | 1:13.780 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren MP4-19B | 2004 |
| DTM (current Grand Prix circuit) | — | — | — | — |
Drive Hockenheimring in a sim
These racing games and simulators include Hockenheimring as official content. Mods and community tracks are not listed.
iRacing
paid trackLayouts—
Automobilista 2
DLC: Adrenaline Pack Pt1; Adrenaline Pack Pt2; Hockenheimring PackLayoutsHockenheim [DLC]; Hockenheim Historic 1977 [DLC]; Hockenheim Historic 1988 [DLC]; Hockenheim Historic 1988 Short [DLC]; Hockenheim Historic 2001 [DLC]; Hockenheim National [DLC]; Hockenheim Rallycross [DLC]; Hockenheim STT [DLC]; Hockenheim Short A [DLC]; Hockenheim Short B [DLC]
RaceRoom Racing Experience
paid trackLayouts3 layouts (count shown on store page)
Forza Motorsport
free updateLayoutsFull; National; Short (layout names as printed in release notes; list may be incomplete)
Building a sim rig? Four example setups from $279 → · Every real track in sim racing games
Checked against each publisher’s track list in October 2026 (read 19 Oct 2026).
Spectator guide
The Motodrom stadium section is Hockenheimring's biggest spectator draw, with grandstands stacked around the Nordkurve, Sachskurve and Spitzkehre giving a view of several corners and much of the closing laps from one seat. The long Parabolika straight and Mercedes-Arena chicane are also popular for watching overtaking and braking under load.
Seating
Grandstands are concentrated around the stadium infield (Nordtribüne, Südtribüne and similar stands) plus stands along the main straight and at the Mercedes-Arena.
Best places to watch
Motodrom stadium seats give the best value, covering several corners at once; standing areas near the Mercedes-Arena chicane are good for close braking and overtaking action.
Weather
- May (Hockenheim Historic): mild spring weather, highs around 18-22°C
- October (DTM finale): cooler autumn conditions, highs around 12-16°C, chance of rain
History of Hockenheimring
From triangle circuit to Grand Prix venue
Hockenheimring opened in 1932 as the Hockenheimer Dreieck, a roughly 12 km triangular circuit built through the Hardtwald forest to give Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union a fast test track. It was shortened in the late 1930s and rebuilt again after the Second World War, gradually growing into a long, high-speed forest circuit punctuated by a tight stadium section near the town, a combination that made it one of the fastest tracks on the calendar and a favourite of slipstreaming battles through the 1970s and 1980s.
Tragedy, safety concerns and the 2002 redesign
The forest sections' speed came at a cost: Jim Clark was killed there in a Formula 2 race in 1968, and safety concerns persisted through the following decades despite chicanes added to slow the track. After the 2000 German Grand Prix exposed further safety and visibility problems, Hermann Tilke redesigned the circuit for 2002, cutting the lap from 6.823 km to 4.574 km, removing most of the forest straights and building a compact, stadium-heavy infield intended to keep more of the lap visible from the grandstands.
A modern multi-purpose circuit
Since the redesign, Hockenheimring has alternated hosting the German Grand Prix with the Nürburgring, most recently in 2019, and remains a regular fixture for DTM touring cars, historic racing at ADAC Hockenheim Historic, and drag racing at NitrOlympX on its dedicated strip. Owned by the city of Hockenheim, the circuit continues to run public driving experiences, race taxi rides and club track days alongside its championship calendar, and is frequently discussed as a candidate for a future return to Formula 1.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Hockenheimring?
The current Grand Prix circuit is 4.574 km (2.842 miles) with 17 turns, following a 2002 redesign that replaced the old 6.823 km forest layout.
What happened to Hockenheimring's old forest layout?
The pre-2002 configuration ran long straights through the Hardtwald forest; it was removed in a Hermann Tilke redesign after safety and spectator-visibility concerns, shortening the lap and building a compact stadium infield instead.
Does Formula 1 still race at Hockenheimring?
Not currently. Hockenheimring last hosted the German Grand Prix in 2019, alternating historically with the Nürburgring, and is often mentioned as a possible future return venue.
What is the lap record at Hockenheimring?
The Formula 1 lap record on the current Grand Prix circuit is 1:13.780, set by Kimi Räikkönen in a McLaren MP4-19B in 2004.
How do you get to Hockenheimring without a car?
Hockenheim's own railway station is a short walk from the circuit and is served directly from Mannheim, with onward connections from Heidelberg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.
What is NitrOlympX?
NitrOlympX is a major European Drag Racing Championship meeting held on Hockenheimring's dedicated dragstrip each August, running since 1986.
Which racing games and sims have Hockenheimring?
Hockenheimring is officially available in iRacing, Automobilista 2, RaceRoom Racing Experience and Forza Motorsport. Some of these include it in the base game and others sell it as paid content; the table above shows which.
Other tracks nearby
Facts checked against 8 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.