- If you've already heard of the Nürburgring,
then by all means, enjoy this video.
We've got an interview behind the scenes,
some footage of the place,
but also we have me trying to explain the basics of it
while being driven round the Nordschleife, the North Loop
by a professional driver. Thank you, Andy.
But if you haven't heard of the Nürburgring,
then it may surprise you that one of the greatest,
most demanding racetracks in the world
is also just a public toll road.
And if you want, you can just turn up and drive it.
All right, I'm going to regret this. Let's do it.
- All right. Let's do it.
- There were always these three big components.
So one, that the Nordschleife is open for the public.
Then there's car testing.
The big manufacturers are still testing many,
many weeks every year here on the Nordschleife,
the new components, the new cars.
And of course, there's also racing.
- Normal traffic rules apply here.
You have to drive on the right, you have to overtake on the left.
But on most of the track, there is no speed limit.
And that's because Germany has no national speed limit.
There are thousands of kilometres of autobahn out there
where you can drive as fast as you safely can.
As long as you're in control of your vehicle,
speed doesn't matter.
So legally, this is just a one way toll road.
You go to the barrier, you pay your €25,
you go through this bit with the cones and the speed limit,
and then you are on the Ring.
Oh, yes!
[Tom laughs]
- 20.8 kilometres. The Nürburgring Nordschleife is the
longest permanent racetrack in the world.
It's in the most popular and most famous racetracks in the world,
comparable to Indianapolis, to Monaco, to Daytona.
- But there are lots of safety rules, and the team here--
--oh my God--
--the team here asked me to make it clear
that racing on the Ring on days like this
is not allowed.
And you'll see the cars ahead, when we're on the straights,
they indicate right, they get out of the way,
because legally on the autobahn, that's what you have to do.
Lap timers and dashcams are forbidden.
I mean, we've got special permission for these cameras...
...my...
[strained noise]
We've got special permission,
but none of these cars should have dashcams or timers
because it is just too dangerous...
...it is too dangerous to have a clock ticking
either on your dashboard or in your head.
The track is unforgiving.
If you come off here, you're not rolling onto grass.
You're not rolling onto gravel.
You are hitting a barrier, or worse,
you're hitting- Oh, that was a drop!
You're hitting someone else.
The track-- oh!-- It has jumps.
It has sections where you will-- oh my God--
get what roller coaster fans would call air time.
Not quite ejector time, but air time.
- Everyone is able to drive.
Of course, everyone who is sticking to the rules of our driving standards.
And of course, which cars finally fit to us,
that's 2.8 tonnes, is the max.
People driving here round with their Porsche,
but you've also got a family driving in their van here round.
- There is a story that if you crash,
then the Nürburgring team will present you with a bill for damage.
For every half-hour the safety car had to be out here,
for every half-hour that they had to repair the track,
for every metre of crash barrier that you have damaged.
That story is absolutely, 100%...
true. If you are conscious, you will be delivered a bill,
but it turns out that's also true in most of the world.
If you crash on a British road,
then the local highways authority will send out a bill.
It's just that it'll go to your insurance company, not to you.
Oh, g-forces!
But insurance, other than very, very good German insurance,
it won't cover you for the Ring.
Nearly every insurance company, particularly those outside Germany
has a clause in there that specifically excludes driving here,
even if you are just a tourist.
- In case of a heavier accident, then the track gets closed.
In case of a normal incident like a technical breakdown,
then it might be that it's just getting under yellow.
First of all, we've got marshals around
and permanent contact to our operators here in the entrance.
We've got an emergency number
and what we are now having also from 2021 on
is that we are starting to provide the Nordschleife with camera operators.
- So that is a speed limit.
We have just hit a speed limit for this corner
and I can see why.
And then as soon as you pass this line?
Yep! Off we go.
- Two years ago,
we had statistics that every 15,000 kilometres,
an incident is happening on the Nürburgring.
But an incident might also be a car losing fluid,
some technical issues, but also of course, an accident.
I think the biggest difference is
when you've got an accident on a normal road,
it takes quite a time until you've got some emergency,
here, we've got around 60 people of track safety
and track operators making this track as safe as possible.
- There's a banked turn?
[Tom laughs]
- There isn't another racetrack like the Nordschleife.
It just built into the landscape.
Normally, landscapes are constructed for racetracks.
- Out of the way!
- It is so challenging because it's so narrow and it's so long.
The barriers are so close to the racetrack
and yeah, I guess that's what makes it challenging,
but what also the drivers love.
- Little jump. 3, 2, 1, here.
- Oh, boy!
[Tom laughs]
And across the line!
Wow!
- I hope you enjoyed it.
Oh, yes!
That was incredible!
I have never done anything like that before.
I like racing now! I like racetracks.
Wow.
Every time, every time I've done something like this,
I've gone in thinking it's going to be terrible,
I've gone in thinking I'm going to hate it.
I'm going to be terrified.
And every time I've loved it.
Yes!
I loved every second of that.
I want to do that again.
Thank you so much to Andy, my driver.
Thank you so much to all the team here at the Nürburgring.
Oh, that's wonderful!