WEC: Nürburgring confirmed for 2015

[Jack Hunsley]

The Nürburgring seems set to join the WEC calendar for the 2015 season after news today confirmed that a deal had been agreed between the circuit owners and the WEC.

The event, scheduled for 28 to 30 August, will see the world’s leading sports car championship take to the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit in a 6 long hour event, bringing the total number of races in the series from 7 to 8 as well as filling in the long gap after Le Mans that has drawn criticism in the past

Carsten Schumacher, managing director of Nürburgring GmbH said, “we are delighted with cooperate with the WEC in presenting motorsport fans with a thrilling world-class race event at the Nürburgring,” and that “with the ‘6 Hours of Nurburgring’, the Nurburgring opens a new chapter in its long-standing endurance tradition.”

Meanwhile Gerard Neveu, CEO of the World Endurance Championship, added that “bringing the WEC to Germany is an important evolution for the championship as it is the home of Audi and Porsche. The Nurburgring has a long tradition of endurance racing and we look forward to working with Carsten Schumacher and his team to make the 6 Hours of Nürburgring a success in August.”

However whilst fantastic news for the rapidly growing WEC, this deal certainly puts the possibility of a Formula One German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in significant doubt.

Tickets for the event go on sale from 9 March with the first 4,000 ticket holders being granted free access to the Sunday pit walk. The first round of the 2015 WEC kicks off at Silverstone on 12 April.

Are you excited for the WEC heading to Germany? Or perhaps disappointed that the Nordschleife won’t be hosting the race? Comment below!

 

[Jimlaad43]

The Nordschleife will never host the WEC. It is an FIA Grade 3 track, and the WEC cars must race on FIA Grade 1 tracks only (except Le Mans, which is Grade 2). We should just be happy that the WTCC have managed to blag a weekend at the Nordschleife, as that will be fantastic.

 

[Andreas Knöpke]

Good stuff!

 

[the_sigman]

I don't think the prototypes are able to race in the long circuit to be honest.

 

[R.J. O'Connell]

It's a real shame that this date has caused a clash with the Suzuka 1000km. Michael Krumm can't drive for Nissan at the Nurburgring 6h because he's slated to run the last five of eight rounds for Kondo Racing in Super GT. You can also wave bye-bye to another cameo from Jorg Bergmeister or Frederic Makowiecki.

I love both series, I just hate the schedule clashes!

 

[Dan Allen]

It's nice to see Deutschland get a WEC race.

Whether they should race on Nordchleife, I'm really not sure what to think about that. Maybe they could just ram-raid their way through the Nurburgring barriers and join the track anyway?

Looking at the official WEC website, I'm wondering if they're using Nurburgring because they cant race on Interlagos this year...

http://www.fiawec.com/en/news/2015-fia-world-endurance-championship-calendar-unveiled_2409.html

 

[Grand Tourist]

I don't think the prototypes are able to race in the long circuit to be honest.

In the past F1 was raced on the Nordschleife, but off course safety back then was rather concidered unimportant or no priority. The cornering speeds prototypes reach today are of such amounts that it would be irresponsible to hold a race for the WEC at the Green Hell. Certainly when you consider the huge cornering speed differences between LMP and GT classes and the narrow track width. I agree this is only for virtual racing applyable.
But... why don't they ask the pilots their opinion? Oh wait, they don't call the shots, do they?

 

[Andreas Knöpke]

Are you guys really discussing that rhetorical / funny question in the end of the article that clearly wasn't mean seriously??!?!?!

Ppl on ze intarwebz .........

 

[kedy89]

Nice to see them racing in Germany finally, had hoped for that earlier already

No real expansion of the calendar though as they already had 8 races last season. Imo they should try to go for 10 races, bring Interlagos back, Sebring instead of Austin, and Monza. Plus 2 or 3 12h races instead of only 6h apart from Le Mans.

Better coverage in TV would also be nice, don't know how it is in other countries, in Germany Eurosport holds the rights, but apart from Le Mans the broadcast is rather poor.

 

[the_sigman]

Nice to see them racing in Germany finally, had hoped for that earlier already

No real expansion of the calendar though as they already had 8 races last season. Imo they should try to go for 10 races, bring Interlagos back, Sebring instead of Austin, and Monza. Plus 2 or 3 12h races instead of only 6h apart from Le Mans.

Better coverage in TV would also be nice, don't know how it is in other countries, in Germany Eurosport holds the rights, but apart from Le Mans the broadcast is rather poor.

Agreeing in everything really. Additionally, bring Sebring back, buy the rights for the Bathurst 12 Hours, Spa 24 Hours and the Dubai 24 Hours, get rid of Bahrain, Austin and Shanghai, and make a 12 Hour Finale at Silverstone. (Imagination at its best )

 

[Rob]

The only thing that bothers me about this series, which I want to like is:

1. It's been done before in a better way (see: ALMS, now Tudor United & subsequent ruining by NASCAR...bye bye innovation and LMP1).
2. The races need to be mixed. Yea, I know it's called "endurance" but c'mon...do we really need 6-12 hours every time? I love to watch racing but this just hogs too much time. I want to see the whole event, and these cars are wonderful.
3. The FIA has its paws in it. Not really a bad thing, but that means always racing on these boring Euro-Tilke/100 mile runoff/safety rating #1 as approved, blah, blah, blah. If the ALMS could race at places like Long Beach. Mosport, and Baltimore, in the same cars, then this series could grow the same sort of balls.

 

[Nox]

I don't think it was ever really in doubt that they'd be at the Nurburgring this year. But with 5 rounds in Europe this year, it might have been nice to see a race elsewhere. I'd like to see them expand the calender a bit.

And no, let's not go to Baltimore or Long Beach, I'd actually like to see racing, not hours of safety cars. There are some great tracks though that they could go to that doesn't have a TIlke feel.

 

[Rob]

I don't think it was ever really in doubt that they'd be at the Nurburgring this year. But with 5 rounds in Europe this year, it might have been nice to see a race elsewhere. I'd like to see them expand the calender a bit.

And no, let's not go to Baltimore or Long Beach, I'd actually like to see racing, not hours of safety cars. There are some great tracks though that they could go to that doesn't have a TIlke feel.

Sorry, but Long Beach is a great circuit. Baltimore was an abomination.

 

[Nox]

Sorry, but Long Beach is a great circuit. Baltimore was an abomination.

Perhaps; but I generally dislike street circuits when there are plenty of amazing purpose built tracks available. WEC at Road Atlanta, Road America, Sebring, Mosport, Indianapolis... all better choices imo and that is just sticking with North America.

 

[Rob]

Road Atlanta

 

[speedrcr]

I for one enjoy the Lonestar LeMans (6 Hrs of Austin, or whatever you want to call it, my town as more than 2 names for everything it seems) and feel privileged they come to my town so I can see the race in person.

I first had my doubts about "Tilke" designed race tracks, but COTA made sense actually from a spectator and driving perspective. There's something to be said about these tracks being designed well. May seem boring, but COTA is far from boring to race on, maybe watching F1 there can be (IMO has been past few years compared to GT type racing).

The whole point for FIA spec 1 tracks is not only for Safety as the number 1 priority but also the Eco friendly equation weighs heavily as well. FIA is really trying to drive a lot of tracks to go to this standard by trying to make it race exclusively at FIA Spec 1. But this takes a lot of renovation and costs the track owners tons of $$. In terms of safety and lots of run off, you should see the 370R crash that happened on Turn 12, the guy didn't have any brakes, so imagine this guy loving this design after watching this:

I've been also informed this is also one of the minor reasons that FIA and IMSA have argued over coming to Sebring and other tracks. Currently COTA is the only FIA Spec 1 track in the US at the moment.