German GP: Towards a Brawn GP/Red Bull battle?

The Nürburgring circuit is renowned for being a complete track: it includes fast curves, chicanes negotiated at medium speed that greatly destabilize the car, and much slower turns that are very demanding in terms of traction. These are just some of the challenges that the single-seaters will have to tackle this weekend. While overtaking is possible in the first turn and in turns 13 and 14, it remains difficult to achieve. Regardless of the season, rain and cold are a constant threat in this region of Europe, which can potentially complicate matters!

Aerodynamics

The Nürburgring circuit is one of the tracks where we use the highest aerodynamic downforce of the season. This is important not only for the many slow and fast corners of the track but also to make the car more stable during changes of direction and strong braking, especially in the first corner and the 13/14 chicane.

Fernando Alonso explains: « The chicane 13/14 is probably the most suitable place for overtaking because it is one of the places where braking is the most intense throughout the lap. If you follow a car closely, you can position yourself well to overtake on the inside. You take the chicane at around 100 km/h in second gear, and you have to be very aggressive to maintain good speed on the exit. »

Chassis

The corners 5/6, 8/9, and 10/11 require a fairly neutral balance to not compromise the optimal trajectory in the second part of the sequence. Engineers will have to work throughout the weekend to correct the very common understeer in these medium-speed corners.

The car must be very responsive in rapid changes of direction like chicanes and winding sections. Mechanical grip is important in corners 1 and 4, but the pursuit of it should not compromise aerodynamic efficiency in other sectors.

The Spaniard explains again: « Turns 1 to 4 are not particularly interesting for the drivers, but it is crucial to be precise in this sector and not make mistakes, as it could be costly, especially during qualifying sessions. Therefore, we must be precise when braking to control the car at every moment. Too much oversteer or understeer can compromise a good lap time. The car’s balance is never perfect in these slow sections, which is why we always struggle with understeer in the very slow corners. Additionally, the rear of the car can be unstable when re-accelerating. »

Tires

The performance of the tires will once again be a critical parameter for all the teams. The ultra-soft and medium compounds from the Bridgestone Potenza 2009 range will be used in this Grand Prix. Ambient conditions will play a decisive role in tire performance at the Nürburgring.

Braking

The brakes will not be a major issue on this circuit. We will monitor them, but we should not be concerned about abnormal wear of the discs and pads as there are not many hard braking zones on this track.

Engine

The Nürburgring is not a particularly demanding circuit for V8s, mainly due to its location at an altitude of nearly 500m above sea level. This situation reduces engine power by almost 5%, but it also reduces the load on certain components of the moving assembly, such as the pistons.

The engine runs at full load for 64% of the lap, which remains slightly above the season average (which is around 62%). The longest period at full load barely exceeds 10 seconds, so the team will need to focus on optimizing the engine’s performance at low revs to ensure a good exit from slow corners, particularly in turn number 7.

Nelson Piquet explains: « Entering turn number 7 in seventh gear at almost 300km/h before braking and shifting down to third in the hairpin, it is very important to take the apex perfectly in order to accelerate as early as possible, with maximum possible speed to make the long climb up to the fast chicanes 8 and 9. »

The circuit is hilly, but these elevation changes are gradual and are not concerning for engine systems. However, caution will be needed in bumpy turns, particularly in the chicane, where the optimal line encourages drivers to mount the curbs, to avoid spending too much time on the limiter, which could eventually damage the V8.

According to a statement from the Renault F1 Team