The original Nürburgring Nordschleife, opened in 1927, was one of the most demanding and dangerous circuits in motorsport. By the early 1970s, the length of the track — over 22 km — made it impossible to adequately marshal or provide medical coverage to the standard demanded by Formula One. In 1976, Niki Lauda famously proposed a driver boycott of the German Grand Prix before it went ahead anyway. On the second lap, Lauda crashed his Ferrari after a suspected suspension failure at the fast left-hand kink before Bergwerk and was severely burned; he was rescued by fellow drivers Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards, Brett Lunger, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Harald Ertl. The Nordschleife never hosted another Formula One race.
Work on a new, modern circuit began in 1981. The GP-Strecke was built to the highest contemporary safety standards at a length of 4.556 km, constructed on and around the old pit area of the Nürburgring complex. A bypass simultaneously shortened the Nordschleife to 20.832 km. The new track was completed in 1984 and was extended to 5.148 km in 2002 through the addition of a slow Omega-shaped section on the site of the former kart track and the replacement of the Castrol chicane with a sharp right-hander.
To mark the opening of the GP-Strecke, an exhibition Race of Champions was held on 12 May 1984, featuring an array of notable drivers competing in identical Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3–16 cars. The entry included former world champions Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Denis Hulme, James Hunt, Alan Jones, Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg, Jody Scheckter, and John Surtees, alongside future world champions Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Senna won the race, with Lauda — who had qualified last after missing qualifying — charging through the field to finish second. Nine former and two future Formula One world champions competed in the field of 20 cars.
The first Formula One race on the new circuit was the 1984 European Grand Prix, followed by the 1985 German Grand Prix. Formula One did not return for a decade, with the track instead hosting DTM, the 1000 km Nürburgring, motorcycle events, and other series.
Following Michael Schumacher's first World Championship title in 1994, a second German Formula One race was introduced at the Nürburgring from 1995 to 2006. This race was named the European Grand Prix, except in 1997 and 1998 when it was held as the Luxembourg Grand Prix. Schumacher achieved the most wins at the Nürburgring, taking five victories between 1995 and 2006.
In 1999, Johnny Herbert won on the circuit for the team led by Jackie Stewart — the only victory for Stewart Grand Prix — in changing conditions that reshuffled the order. The 2005 European Grand Prix featured a dramatic exit for Kimi Räikkönen on the final lap when his suspension failed after repeated damage from a flat-spotted tyre that had not been changed under that season's single-tyre rule.
From 2007, the Nürburgring and Hockenheimring began alternating the German Grand Prix. In 2007, name-licensing issues meant the Nürburgring event was branded the European Grand Prix. By 2014, the new circuit owners were unable to secure a deal to continue hosting the race in odd-numbered years, and both the 2015 and 2017 German Grands Prix were cancelled.
In July 2020, Formula One announced a return to the Nürburgring for the first time in seven years, as part of a revised calendar responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race was named the Eifel Grand Prix in honor of the nearby mountain range — giving the circuit the distinction of having hosted Formula One under four different names: German Grand Prix, European Grand Prix, Luxembourg Grand Prix, and Eifel Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton won the 2020 race, equalling Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91 Formula One victories.
The 2002 extension transformed the layout significantly. The former Castrol chicane at the end of the start/finish straight was replaced with a sharp right-hander nicknamed the "Haug-Hook" to create overtaking opportunities, and the Omega section inserted additional slow corners. These changes brought the circuit to its current 5.148 km length. Prior to the 2007 European Grand Prix, the Audi S complex (turns 8 and 9) was renamed the Michael Schumacher S in honor of the seven-time world champion.
The GP-Strecke was criticized by some fans at its opening for lacking the character of the historic Nordschleife, with detractors calling it names such as "Eifelring" or "Ersatzring." Over time, however, drivers including Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton praised the layout as a classic circuit with an old-school feel. As of 2025, the Nürburgring GP track serves as the primary venue for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) and several national GT events, while the wider Nürburgring complex continues to host the 24 Hours Nürburgring on the Nordschleife and the annual Rock am Ring music festival.