Motorsport Arena Oschersleben

Motorsport Arena Oschersleben at a glance

Location

Oschersleben, Saxony-Anhalt

Type

road course

Length

3.696 km (2.297 mi)

Turns

13

Direction

clockwise

Surface

asphalt

Elevation change

75 ft

Opened

1997

Owner

Motorsport Arena Oschersleben GmbH

Capacity

65,000

Address

Motopark Allee 20-22

Phone

+49 3949 9200

Website

motorsportarena.com

Track map and layout

Billed as Germany's northernmost permanent race circuit, the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben opened in 1997 on flat farmland in Saxony-Anhalt and offers a smooth, modern 3.696 km Grand Prix layout with around 23 metres of elevation change worked into an otherwise gently rolling site. The lap is known for its tricky, tightening first-corner complex, a sharp left-hander straight out of the pit straight that has produced numerous first-lap incidents in touring car and GT racing over the years, followed by a flowing, medium-speed middle sector and a final chicane back onto the front straight. A closely related motorcycle 'A' circuit configuration runs at 3.668 km.

Named corners and sections

• Turn 1. A sharp 90-degree left-hander immediately off the pit straight, notorious for multi-car incidents at the start of races.
• Hexenkessel. A fast, sweeping section in the circuit's middle sector; its name translates to 'witch's cauldron.'

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Oschersleben has been a fixture of German touring car and GT racing since opening, hosting DTM regularly and serving as a long-standing home for ADAC GT Masters. It has previously held World Superbike (2000-2004) and World Touring Car Championship (2005-2011) rounds, and continues to host IDM German motorcycle championship racing today. The circuit's calendar also features club racing, sim-racing and festival events such as 'Tage des Donners.'

Getting there and parking

Oschersleben sits in Saxony-Anhalt roughly 30 km southwest of Magdeburg, in flat, easily accessible farmland. There is no direct rail station at the circuit; visitors typically travel via Magdeburg and then by car, taxi or event shuttle for the final leg. Road access is straightforward via the B245 and nearby autobahns linking Magdeburg, Hannover and Berlin.

• Magdeburg-Cochstedt Airport (CSO) · about 30 min drive
• Hannover Airport (HAJ) · about 90 min drive
• Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) · about 120 min drive

Parking

General parking is available around the circuit, typically included with event tickets for race weekends.

Magdeburg is the practical hub for train and air travel; plan the final leg to the circuit by rental car, taxi, or event shuttle since there is no station directly at the track.

Hotels and camping near Motorsport Arena Oschersleben

The circuit operates its own on-site 4-star hotel, making it one of the more self-contained German venues for visitors who want to stay right at the track. Those seeking more options base themselves in Magdeburg, about 30 km away, which has a much larger range of hotels and easy road and rail links back to Oschersleben.

Where to look

The circuit's own on-site hotel is the closest option; Magdeburg, about 30 km away, has the widest range of hotels in the region.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Motorsport Arena Oschersleben runs an extensive in-house program of car and motorcycle track days, driving and riding safety courses, guided tourist track days, and rental karting, making it one of the more track-day-friendly permanent circuits in Germany outside the Nürburgring.

Who runs days here

• Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (in-house track days, safety training, supermoto)both

Lap records

Spectator guide

As a flat, purpose-built circuit, Oschersleben offers good general sightlines from grandstands along the main straight and around the tricky Turn 1, where much of the race-start drama typically unfolds. Its compact layout and modest crowds compared to venues like the Nürburgring or Sachsenring make it a relatively relaxed, easy-to-navigate circuit for spectators.

Seating

Grandstands cluster around the start-finish straight and Turn 1; general-admission viewing areas are available around much of the rest of the lap.

Best places to watch

Turn 1 is the standout spot for race starts and first-lap incidents; the main straight grandstands suit fans who want a single fixed view of the pit lane and finish line.

Weather

• Summer (main race season): typically mild to warm, highs around 20-24°C

History of Motorsport Arena Oschersleben

Germany's northernmost purpose-built circuit

Ground was broken on the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (originally Motopark Oschersleben) in April 1995, and the circuit opened in July 1997 as Germany's fourth permanent racing facility, built at a cost of around €58 million on flat farmland in Saxony-Anhalt. Positioned well north of the country's other major circuits, it quickly marketed itself as 'Germany's northernmost race track,' filling a gap in the country's motorsport map away from the cluster of venues further south and west.

A touring car and superbike hub

Through the 2000s Oschersleben became a regular host for the World Superbike Championship (2000-2004) and later the World Touring Car Championship (2005-2011), alongside a long-running relationship with Germany's domestic touring car and GT series, DTM and ADAC GT Masters. The circuit's tight, tightening first corner became notorious for multi-car incidents at race starts, a hazard that has shaped the venue's reputation as much as its otherwise smooth, modern layout.

A modern multi-purpose venue

Today Oschersleben combines its racing calendar, including IDM German motorcycle championship rounds and ADAC GT Masters, with an unusually broad range of visitor facilities for a German circuit: an on-site four-star hotel, karting, driver safety training, motorcycle and supermoto courses, and public track days for both cars and bikes. That combination of race-day spectacle and everyday public access has helped the circuit remain a going concern even as some of Germany's other purpose-built 1990s venues have struggled financially.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Talkessel Teutschenthal · 74 km · motocross
• AVUS · 143 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit · 153 km · street circuit
• Bilster Berg Drive Resort · 154 km · road course
• Sachsenring · 169 km · road course
• Lausitzring (DEKRA Lausitzring) · 190 km · road course & oval