Nürburgring Track Guide
Nürburgring is the other very technical track after Barcelona. We again have high speed, medium and low speed corners. There's on design pattern that sticks out: There are several sections where two corners are tied together. T1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 10-11.
We'll look at what appears to be one of the quickest cars here currently: The M4 with a 1:52.3 on the AOR servers (23°C). As always recommended do compare yourself directly to the benchmarks in your car - there's literally no way you will not benefit. Free to try using my Snetterton M4 GT3 Data Pack, as always.
For your own comparison just find your car here. Or if you are already have the CDA Setup Subscription or were eyeing it, our CDA Data addon allows to compare to all their laps instantly.
T1-2
T1 has a very traditional approach, apex and slowest point in the corner are right in the middle, the car grips up nicely as you drop down the step right after the apex, so can mostly floor the throttle. The key now is to take T1 slow enough to still make it across just in time for a good entry position into T2.
T2's key is to not brake and to turn in before releasing the throttle (you want to load up both right side tires before shifting the weight onto the front). You can safely be a little too quick initially and maintain a stable car with SLIGHT forced understeer (=turning more than the front tires will take) and keep reducing speed with TINY brake inputs until the car gravitates towards the kerb for a late apex (last third of the corner). A higher gear might help with traction and predictability.
T3-4
Again its all about the line. You can use the paved inside behind the kerb and go for a very late tight line. The target here is to be fast on the straight after T4 and building speed through T4 already, which only works from a very wide entry. Your throttle position through T4 will be key. The throttle controls the differential which, if opened (=low/no throttle), allows the car to rotate. Only lift enough to get the turn in, but do not lift all the way as the weight shifts will be detrimental to your line and minimum speed. Over the kerb dont full throttle it, as the rear will snap or you can get "stuck" in understeer. Patience is needed and gently accelerating until the car stops bouncing.
T5-6
Same Idea here. Go only as wide after T5 to still get into a good position for T6. So dialing speed back in 5 can help, aim for late apex. Then in T6 many lines are possible, the best certainly is somewhat of a double or single late apex. It's worth it to use the F7 came to investigate the shape of the T6 kerb - whoever built it was drunk, as it changes its radius very often, which can make driving in reference to the kerb quite confusing. Just take those shape changes into account and don't be deceived into thinking you're going wide or too tight suddenly when its just the kerb's weird shape.
T7
T7 is the prototype double apex. Deep and careful trail braking through a first apex, into a wide position in the middle of the turn where you will be the slowest and from where you start accelerating through the 2nd apex.
T8/9
Deliberately posting the image like this: Take the corner as if it was only a left hander. You'll never no manage the right. The key on entry is to lift the throttle only a tiny amount. Sometimes it will be flat out even, but its just more consistent with a tiny and maximum of 30-40% lift off the throttle. The timing for that will be just as you come off the entry kerb and the car has settled.
T10-11
Same pattern as in 1-2,3-4,5-6. You want to come back across before T11. More importantly you want to have the car almost or fully straight as you hit the brake. Else you will be scared to run into the grass and leave a security margin on the left. The turn itself needs minimal braking. Everything else will make the car rather sensitive on entry, just reduce some speed, then coast and make corrections along the way to hit a late apex once more. No shifting during the turn, it will ruin your corner.
Chicane:
The key is to saturate the front end quickly on entry. This will lead to a balanced, if anything slightly understeery car as you trail off. Brake early enough to reach your slowest point already BEFORE the the first apex. Being on throttle through the chicane is crucial for stability in the transition and over the kerbs. With throttle applied to can through the car around more aggressively as well without loosing the rear.
T15
Clean trailing is important as there's quite low grip. The idea is similar to the dunlop corner (T7). Just now we want the double apex to be less pronounced and with the slowest point slightly earlier already - say one third into the corner. There's just no grip further on the outside, so we can't drive a more pronounced double apex. No matter if you hit the first apex or not, the crucial one is the 2nd apex late in the corner, to have the rear end capable of converting throttle into speed.