2005 German GP Facts & Figure

By BMW WilliamsF1 Team
July 16 2005

Facts & Figures

Circuit/Date: Hockenheimring/24thJuly 2005 Start time (local/GMT): 14:00 hrs/12:00 hrs Lap/Race distance: 4.574 km/306.458 km (67 laps) Winner 2004: Michael Schumacher (Scuderia Ferrari) Pole 2004: Michael Schumacher (Scuderia Ferrari), 1:13.306 min Lap record: Kimi Räikkönen (McLaren Mercedes),1:13.780 min (2004) F1 statistics: BMW WilliamsF1 Team: 96 starts, 10 wins, 17 poles WilliamsF1 pre-2000: 356 starts, 103 wins, 108 poles BMW pre-2000: 97 starts, 9 wins, 15 poles History and background: Hockenheim has a population of over 20,000 and lies on the Upper Rhine Plain in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. On 29th May 1932, Hockenheim hosted its inaugural motorcycle race on the un-surfaced, triangular circuit. In 1938, the circuit was re-designed to create the oval-shaped Palatinate Ring. 1957 saw further modifications when the Motodrom was built. Hockenheim hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix on 2nd August 1970, which Jochen Rindt won. In 1977, the German Grand Prix moved to Baden indefinitely, only returning to the Nürburgring once in 1985. In 2002, Hockenheim celebrated its 70th anniversary with a new design and a new name, the "Hockenheimring Baden Württemberg". The long forest straights were replaced with new sections in order to accommodate increasing spectator numbers. Where cars previously disappeared into the woods, the circuit now takes a sharp right turn (the second corner after the start / finish) into the long, sweeping, high-speed Parabolica turn. This culminates in a hairpin taken in first gear with the steering wheel virtually at full lock. Following this hairpin, a right-left-right combination returns to familiar territory, the Motodrom stadium section. To date, WilliamsF1 has claimed nine victories at Hockenheim. Alan Jones scored the first in 1979, while the most recent was secured with BMW in 2003 when Juan Pablo Montoya won from pole position with a 65 second lead.