Nürburgring director: "That dream is certainly there for us too"

Formula 1 returns to Nürburgring after seven years this weekend, but not to the legendary Nordschleife, the part of the circuit where Niki Lauda had his almost fatal accident in 1976. Since then, Formula 1 has never driven on the Green Hell, but a return is not out of the question.

Dreams

Circuit director Mirco Markfort will be driving Formula 1 on the Nordschleife again, something many Formula 1 fans and drivers dream of. "That dream is definitely there for us. That would be fantastic," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

"Then all parties would have to come together - from the FIA and Liberty Media to the racing teams and the drivers. We should work together to see how we can make this a reality".

Nothing is impossible

So Markfort certainly does not want to rule it out. "Nothing is impossible. A lot of people thought we were crazy when we announced in July that we would organise the Formula 1 race a few months in advance. We will see what the future brings."

Safety

The biggest question remains: how safe is the Nordschleife? Dozens of drivers lost their lives on the circuit which is why it holds the name, the Green Hell. Among others the Dutch Formula 1 driver crashed in 1964 during a practice session for the Grand Prix. "The same applies to the Nordschleife as to the Grand Prix circuit. We have made a great effort here in recent years by laying a lot of new asphalt and installing extra safety fences. So you can't compare the Nordschleife with Niki Lauda's times."