Formula 1 cars return to venue not used in six years during enforced April break

Formula 1 cars will drive in Germany for the first time since 2020 during the championship’s unscheduled break in April.

Both Mercedes and McLaren will take to the Nurburgring circuit on the 14 and 15 of April for a two-day test, taking advantage of the extended break.

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Both teams are scheduled to carry out a dry-tyre test on behalf of Pirelli as they continue their development programme.

It will mark the first time that F1 machinery has been driven on the iconic track in six years.

Mercedes and McLaren won’t use the full layout, but rather the usual F1 circuit that’s been in effect since 2002.

It’ll prove a happy return for Mercedes, who won the last race at Nurburgring in 2020.

Lewis Hamilton finished first six years ago, pipping Max Verstappen and Daniel Riccardo to top spot.

In the process, Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Formula 1 wins.

Why isn’t Nurburgring on the F1 calendar?

Nurburging’s Nordschleife, also known as the Green Hell, has 170 corners, and is over 20 kilometres per lap.

The full circuit hasn’t featured since 1976 following Niki Lauda’s near-fatal crash, and was subsequently deemed too unsuitable to modern F1 speeds.

There is effectively no run-off, while the guard rails are incredibly close to the track.

What’s more, the track itself is too long to provide sufficient medical and fire response should it be required.

In addition, it’s such a big track that different weather could occur across a single race itself.

One section may be dry, while another could be wet, which means it’s deemed too unsafe by current Formula 1 standards.

The 2020 Eifel Grand Prix held at the Nurburgring, meanwhile, was a one-off event added to the calendar to fill scheduling gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, Schumacher’s second retirement at the end of the 2012 season saw a decline in interest in the sport in Germany.

Why is there a break?

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East means that races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled.

As such, it has opened up a five-week window between the Japanese Grand Prix, which took place on 29 March and the Miami Grand Prix, which is scheduled for 3 May.

It means that teams are permitted to work on developing car upgrades ahead of the trip stateside next month.

Or in the case of Mercedes and McLaren, carry out tyre testing in order to boost their chances of success.

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Heading into the enforced break, Mercedes’ 19-yea-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the Drivers Championship.

The Italian has won two of three races so far, while George Russell has won one, with Mercedes claiming a clean sweep across Australia, China and Japan.

As such, Mercedes lead the Constructors Championship with 135 points.

Ferrari, meanwhile, are second, with 90 points, as the iconic brand look to better last season’s performance.

Drivers Charles Leclerc and Hamilton sit third and fourth, respectively, in the Drivers Championship.