Hockenheimring 2026

The Hockenheimring is one of the most historic racing circuits in Europe and can look back on a history dating back to 1932. In that year, the so-called Hockenheim Triangle was created, a roughly twelve-kilometer-long facility that connected long straights through the forest with a tight hairpin turn in the town of Hockenheim. Already in the post-war years, the location in Baden-Württemberg regained importance, before on May 19, 1957, the newly renamed Hockenheimring hosted the first major international race with the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany.

The circuit secured a permanent place in motorsport history in 1970, when Formula 1 drivers at the Grand Prix of France decided to boycott the Nürburgring, which was considered too dangerous, unless fundamental safety improvements were made. So the pinnacle of motorsport came to Hockenheim for the first time on August 2, 1970, where Jochen Rindt won in the Lotus-Ford in front of more than 100,000 spectators—a moment that catapulted the ring onto the international racing circuit map for good. In the following decades, Hockenheim established itself as a permanent fixture in the Grand Prix calendar and became a symbol of German motorsport culture.

The track layout has undergone numerous transformations over the course of its nine decades of existence, always with the goal of increasing safety and adapting to the changing demands of modern motorsport. The most significant overhaul took place in 2002 under the direction of Hermann Tilke, who significantly shortened the circuit once famous for its long full-throttle passages through the forest and relocated it more toward today’s motodrome area. While this resulted in the loss of part of its unique, extremely fast character, a more compact course was created that continues to deliver thrilling races today. On the current track layout of approximately 4.6 kilometers with 17 turns, the stadium section forms the centerpiece: two massive grandstands enclose seven turns including the start-and-finish straight and create an atmosphere rarely offered by any other circuit. Remnants of the old track layout in the forest are still visible in aerial photographs today and remind us of the origins of the facility.

As a venue for the DTM, the Hockenheimring has earned itself a permanent place in the racing calendar over the years and is considered one of the fixed points of the German touring car championship along with circuits such as the Norisring. The combination of long braking zones, the atmospheric stadium section, and the historic heritage of the facility makes every DTM weekend at Hockenheim a highlight of the season. For 2026, fans can look forward to thrilling battles once again on a circuit that uniquely combines tradition and modern racing technology.