Following the announcement that the ban on major events will be extended until 31 October, the Nürburgring sees positive trends for the staging of events - also with an audience - in the further course of the year. The background to this is that, following the Chancellor's meeting with the Minister Presidents, the ban on major events until the end of October 2020 will only apply if contact tracking and compliance with hygiene regulations are not possible. But this is exactly what would be feasible at the race track. That is why those responsible are looking positively into the future.  

"The Nürburgring is a structured event location and after all the longest permanent race track in the world with plenty of space for distance and a suitable infrastructure for hygiene measures," says Nürburgring Managing Director Mirco Markfort. "Regulated access to the grounds, fixed seating on spacious grandstands and numerous sanitary facilities as well as hygiene points are decisive things which, in our opinion, make it possible to comply with various guidelines".   

The Nürburgring has been able to gain good experience in the implementation of offers using specially developed health concepts since the beginning of the Corona pandemic. Analogous to the step-by-step relaxation, the "contactless tourist drives" started as early as April and shortly afterwards other driving offers such as formula courses, sports driver training or "free driving" followed. On 27 June the Nürburgring Endurance Series will now enter its first race in 2020, under its own hygiene concept and for the time being as a ghost race without spectators.

The next days and weeks will show what will be possible
According to the latest announcement from the conference of the Chancellor and the ministers, those responsible now see the decisive differentiation in terms of the conditions for banning events as the next good step. On this basis, the Nürburgring continues to adhere to its calendar and hopes to be able to organise events with spectators again in the future, after ghost races.   

"Even though these are extremely difficult times, we are currently very happy that the Endurance Series can start again and look forward to the rest of the year in which, for example, the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix, the ADAC GT Masters, the ADAC TOTAL 24-hour race, the DTM or a World RX of Germany will be held," says Markfort and also points to the fact that the special atmosphere of the Nürburgring events is decisively created with and by the fans. "That's why we are working hard to ensure that there can be spectators again. The concepts are constantly refined and adapted to the requirements. The next days and weeks will show what will be possible and to what extent. The course of the pandemic is, of course, also decisive for this, in addition to the dialogue with all those involved."     

Photo: Robert Kah / Nürburgring