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Before The German GP. Exclusive from Petr Minarik/photo J.Křenek

Our west neighbour's GP, taking place at the last-but-one July weekend, is one of the most popular in F1. And also one of the most regular. It had one absence in the first year of the Championship, but after that it only had a break three times.

In 1955 when - similarly to the Swiss GP - it was cancelled as a direct effect of the LeMans tragedy, five years later, when F1 was facing new technical regulations and the Germans rather had a Formula 2 race at the south  Nürburgring and also five years ago. In the time when, for financial reasons, there was only European GP in Germany. This year's German GP is therefore number 59, while, except for 1959, when the spectators could see it at the Berlin's Avus, it took only two places: either under the  Nürburg castle or at Hockenheimring. In the first case though, it was home at two different circuits: 22 times it took place at the classic and almost 23 km long track, that was finally banished from the F1 calendar in 1976 by Nicky Lauda's fiery accident and three times at the new GP circuit completed in 1983. Hockenheimring also changed a lot in time, where the German GP will be held this year and that has been changing places with  Nürburgring since 2007.

This circuit, 500km away from Prague, opened 80 years ago as a motorcycle track. Thanks to its straights it later became also a test field for the GP teams of Mercedes and Auto Union. In 1965 it got a new version which became a regular part of car battles. Three years later it saw the death of Jim Clark, racing in F2 and in 1970 this 6,789 m long Baden-Würtenberg circuit enjoyed its debut in the Championship, dominated by the Austrian Rindt. However, it didn't get a regular appearance in the Championship before the north part of Nürburgring lost its place in the GP calendar. It means since 1977. Later it saw the death of Patric Depailler (in 1981 during F1 tests) and it got also several adjustments, while the most important one happened exactly 10 years ago. The circuit was modernized and brutally cut short based on Herman Tilke's design. By a whole one third. Today it's 4,574 m long, it has 17 corners and its fastest place is the straight (320 kph) before the Spitzkehre u-turn, which is, for a change, the slowest place: taken in the first gear at around 60 kph. The drivers experience the highest g (3.3 g) in the last corner before the finish, coming to the finish straight at 220 kph, all that on the circuit where they change gears 46 times and where they can go 66 per cent at full gas.

So far, the German GP saw 38 different winners, but it has been quite tough on the home drivers and marks: only Schumacher brothers could win the home GP and from the cars only Mercedes. But that was long 58 years ago! Nobody, however, will be surprised by the fact, that the king of the German GP is Michael Schumacher: considering the victories (4), podiums (7), fastest laps (4) as well as points (73). It is interesting though that the most successful drivers in the "German" pole positions are - thanks to the old Nürburgring - Jim Clark and Jacky Ickx (4) and the man to spend the most kilometres in the lead is Juan Manuel Fangio (1,391). From the cars, the unrivaled leader - in all aspects - are the Ferrari cars. The Maranello cars proved their "German" dominance also in the last rainy F1 race at Hockenheimring, won by Alonso two years ago, before Massa. And what did the last three Gps look like at this circuit, hosting also this year's GP? It is remarkable that they all had different winners of the qualification and of the race, but the fastest lap always belonged to one domestic driver (2010 Vettel, 2008 Heidfeld and 2006 Schumacher). Michael Schumacher spend the longest time in the lead (58), before Lewis Hamilton (54) and Felipe Massa (43), while this Brazilian in the Italian service was the only one on the podium every time (twice second, once third).

From the current teams only four won the German GP: Mercedes, Red Bull, Lotus and Williams. But only the last two also at Hockenheimring (Montoya of Williams last in 2006, Andretti of Lotus last 1978). So it is a challenge especially for Red Bull: in the 67 laps of the German GP (306,458 km) to try to triumph in Baden-Würtenberg...