Hockenheim

Originally named "Dreieckskurs" (triangle course), the Hockenheimring was built in 1932. Ernst Christ, a young timekeeper from Hockenheim, submitted plans for a racing track in his hometown, which were approved on Christmas Day, 1931. This initial layout was approximately twelve kilometres long, featuring a large triangle-like section, a hairpin within the city, and two connecting straights.

In 1938, the circuit was significantly shortened to just over seven and a half kilometres, and the Ostkurve corner, which remained until 2001, was introduced. That same year, the track was renamed "Kurpfalzring". The circuit sustained damage from tanks during World War II. After the war, it was repaired and renamed "Hockenheimring". Wilhelm Herz, a former DKW and NSU factory rider and world record setter, became the track manager in 1954 and promoted the track successfully. Grand Prix motorcycle racing events were held, with the German motorcycle Grand Prix alternating between the Hockenheimring and other tracks. This version of the circuit, just over seven and a half kilometres long, comprised the original two long straights, connected by the Ostkurve in the forest and the original hairpin inside Hockenheim.

In 1965, a new version of the Hockenheim circuit was constructed, incorporating the "Motodrom" stadium section, designed by John Hugenholtz. This change occurred when the new Autobahn A 6 separated the village from the main part of the track. Following Jim Clark's death in a Formula 2 racing accident on April 7, 1968, two fast chicanes were added and crash barriers were installed along the track in 1970. A small memorial was placed near the first chicane, which was named after him, at the site of his accident. In 1982, another chicane was added at the Ostkurve after Patrick Depailler was killed there in 1980, and the first chicane was also made slower. For the 1992 German Grand Prix, the Ostkurve was modified again, changing from a quick left turn into a more complex right-left-right chicane, after Érik Comas crashed there in 1991. The second chicane was renamed after Ayrton Senna following his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

This version of the circuit was quite large, featuring a very long and fast section through forests, consisting of four straights each roughly 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long, separated by a chicane sequence. This was followed by a tighter, twistier "stadium" section, known as the Motodrom, so named due to the grandstands located there. This layout presented a challenge for setting up racing cars, as teams had to choose between low downforce for speed on the straights, compromising grip in the stadium section, or more downforce for grip in the stadium section, compromising speed on the straights. The long track length also meant that a typical Formula One race had only 45 laps, limiting the spectators' experience of the race to that many passes through the stadium.

During the mid-1980s "turbo era" of Formula One, when fuel was restricted (220 litres for 1984–1985, 195 litres for 1986–1987, or 150 litres for 1988 races for turbo-powered cars), Hockenheim saw drivers, including World Champion Alain Prost, sometimes fail to finish due to running out of fuel near the end of the race. Prost ran out of fuel at the end of the 1986 race, pushing his McLaren towards the finish line before giving up. He was in 3rd place when he ran dry and was eventually classified 6th, earning a championship point that contributed to his second World Championship.

Several issues emerged during the 2000 German Grand Prix, which Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello won after starting 18th on the grid. The race concluded in changeable weather, with heavy rain in the stadium sector and nearly dry forest straights. All overtaking maneuvers occurred in the chicanes of the forest sector, meaning many spectators missed most of the action. Midway through the race, a dismissed former Mercedes-Benz employee breached the track's security barriers on the first forest straight, highlighting security vulnerabilities in the forest and leading to the deployment of the safety car, which neutralized a comfortable lead held by the two Mercedes-powered McLarens. Later, French driver Jean Alesi collided with Brazilian Pedro Diniz in the braking zone for the third chicane, causing Alesi's car to spin uncontrollably down the track and resulting in him suffering dizziness for three days. These incidents prompted significant protest from the FIA, demanding substantial improvements to spectator viewing, safety, and security at the track, asserting that the track was no longer suitable for modern Formula One racing.

In the early 2000s, F1 officials demanded that the 6.823 km (4.240 mi) track be shortened, threatening to discontinue racing there and relocate to other tracks such as the EuroSpeedway Lausitz or sites in Asia. The state government of Baden-Württemberg secured financing for the redesign by Hermann Tilke for the 2002 German Grand Prix. The stadium section largely remained intact, though it received a new surface and a tighter Turn 1 ("Nordkurve"). However, the circuit was dramatically shortened, with the long, forested straights section removed in favor of more tight corners. More than half of the first straight and almost all of the straight between the Ostkurve and Senna chicane were cut. The remaining sections were connected by a new long straight called the "Parabolika," with a small kink added between the first straight and the new one. A small right-left-right complex was added to the remaining part of the final straight, overlooked by a new grandstand. In a controversial decision, the old forest section was torn up and replanted with trees, eliminating any possibility of using the old course for future F1 or historic car events.

The track redesign faced, and continues to face, significant criticism for ruining the unique technical challenges of the old Hockenheim circuit and for creating a new, homogenized "assembly line" circuit lacking the character of the previous layout, while also exhibiting perceived problems common to other Tilke circuits. Several drivers and team principals, including Ron Dennis, Jarno Trulli, and Juan Pablo Montoya, criticized the changes and expressed their preference for the old circuit. The change in track layout also included the installation of a new memorial to Jim Clark, located on the outside of the current track's Turn 2, where the old track extended into the forests and the new shortened track turns right. The redesigned track has a seating capacity of 120,000, thanks to new large grandstands sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. The complex also includes a quarter-mile track for drag racing.

The Hockenheim Circuit first hosted the German Grand Prix in 1970 after F1 drivers decided at the French Grand Prix to boycott the Nürburgring due to safety concerns unless major changes were made. The German Grand Prix returned to the Nürburgring the following year and remained there until the 1976 German Grand Prix. From 1977 to 2006, the Hockenheimring hosted the German Grand Prix, with the exception of 1985, when the race was held at the reconfigured Nürburgring.

In July 2006, Bernie Ecclestone announced that from 2007 onward, Germany would host only one Grand Prix per year. Since 1995, Germany had hosted two Grands Prix annually: the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, plus either the European Grand Prix or the Luxembourg Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. From 2007, the Nürburgring and Hockenheimring alternated hosting the German Grand Prix, with the Nürburgring starting in 2007.

Ongoing deficits from the Formula One races, reaching up to 5.3 million Euro per race, which had to be covered by local communities, suggested that the contract between the Hockenheimring and Formula One Management might not be extended after the 2010 Grand Prix. However, in October 2009, the contract for the circuit to hold the German GP was extended to 2018, with the FOA agreeing to cover any losses incurred by the event. Neither Hockenheim nor the Nürburgring hosted a Grand Prix in 2015 or 2017 after the Nürburgring failed to finalize an agreement with Formula 1's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone. The facility last hosted the German Grand Prix in 2019, an event sponsored by Mercedes-Benz to celebrate the German manufacturer's 125th year in motorsport.

From 1986 to 1988, the start–finish straight was used for 1/8 mile drag racing. In 1989, a dedicated drag strip was constructed by connecting the Opel-Kurve and the first turn leading into the Motodrom section. The finish line was located at the beginning of the forest, with a very long run-off area on the forest straight. Competitors had to travel around the full race track in the opposite direction to return to the paddock.

The drag strip is used for two events in August: the Public Race Days and the NitrolympX main event a week later. Originally named the Nitrolympics and featuring Top Fuel dragsters, it was renamed NitrolympX. When the Hockenheimring was shortened in 2002, the drag strip was relocated closer to the new tall Tower stands, which offer an unusual view along the strip. Although the run-off was halved, it remains one of the longest in drag racing. The NitrolympX typically hosts most European Drag Racing Championship events, sanctioned by FIA or FIM, along with jet dragsters and other entertainment during the Saturday night show, which attracts 40,000 spectators.

In 2008, the drag strip was christened the Rico Anthes Quarter Mile, named after the German former Top Fuel driver and long-time organizer of the NitrolympX, who retired in 2007. As the drag strip can only be prepared for professional drag racing after the last major circuit event, primarily the Formula One race, the grip is often inferior compared to permanent drag strips that host two Euro Championship events each year, such as Santa Pod Raceway in England or Tierp Arena in Sweden. The best performances on the full quarter-mile were significantly below those at Santa Pod, with the best elapsed time (ET) set in 2005: 4.873 seconds and 458 km/h by Brady Kalivoda (USA).

In 2012, some Pro classes experienced traction issues due to a new surface demanded by Formula One. In subsequent years, organizers improved the track with support from Santa Pod personnel and machinery. In 2016, Hockenheim, and mainland Europe, saw the first 3-second Top Fuel 1000 ft passes, with Anita Mäkelä (FIN) achieving 3.939 seconds and 486.91 km/h (302.55 mph). An overall European record for Super Street Bike was set by Garry Bowe (GB) with 7.04 seconds and 340.69 km/h (211.69 mph).

The DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) series has regularly raced at the Hockenheimring since its revival in 2000, typically competing there twice per season in most years.

A rallycross track is located in the stadia section of the circuit, utilizing a section from turns 11 to 16 combined with a dirt section in front of the grandstands. It hosted the inaugural World RX of Hockenheim, Round 2 of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, in 2015 as a supporting event for DTM. The WRX also combined with the DTM for an event there in 2017.

The Hockenheimring has been the site of several fatal accidents:

1968: Jim Clark, during a Formula 2 race

1972: Bert Hawthorne, during a Formula 2 race

1980: Markus Höttinger, during a Formula 2 race

1980: Patrick Depailler, during a private test session

1986: Tony Boden, during a drag racing meeting

2014: Albert Fleming, during the Bosch Hockenheim Historic

Official record lap times are only set during the race. The fastest ever lap on the track is 1:11.212, set by Sebastian Vettel in a Ferrari SF71H during qualifying at the 2018 German Grand Prix. As of October 2025, the fastest official race lap records at the Hockenheimring are listed in the corpus.

The Hockenheimring has also hosted major music concerts:

Michael Jackson: Bad World Tour (July 10, 1988), HIStory World Tour (August 10, 1997)

Tina Turner: Foreign Affair: The Farewell Tour (August 26, 1990)

Pink Floyd: The Division Bell Tour (August 13, 1994)

The Rolling Stones: Voodoo Lounge Tour (August 19, 1995), Licks Tour (June 22, 2003, with AC/DC)

AC/DC: Stiff Upper Lip World Tour (June 10, 2001, with Buddy Guy, Die Toten Hosen & Megadeth), Black Ice World Tour (May 22, 2009), Rock or Bust World Tour (May 16, 2015), Power Up Tour (July 13, 2024)

Robbie Williams: Close Encounters Tour (August 12–13, 2006)

Sonisphere Festival (2009), headlined by Metallica

Hardwell (2016)

Ed Sheeran: ÷ Tour (June 22–23, 2019)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour (July 21, 2023)