Legendary Nürburgring track lives on thanks to buyout.
Good news, petrolheads. The debt-ridden Nürburgring will remain open to the public, having secured a buyer. German company Capricorn Development bought the track, which is based in the village of Nürburg in West Germany, for €77 million (£64.3 million).
Capricorn Development said it would make motorsport a focus and that it would remain a public road, meaning you will still be able to hoon around it in your weapon of choice when it takes full ownership on January 1st, 2015. A €25 million (£20.8 million) investment for infrastructure improvements has been promised.
It looked like Miami investment group HIG Capital would be the new owner, but a Pistonheads reporter at the auction said the new owner secured the purchase with minutes to spare. “It was a very close thing,” Adam Osieka, the future boss of the track, commented . “I haven’t slept for two nights, and nothing was decided until the last moment.”
Capricorn Nürburgring, as it will be known, could see the tedious card payment system used to pay for access scrapped. Plans to turn the Eifeldorf into a ‘Silverstone-style technology park’ were also revealed.
F1 overlord Bernie Ecclestone announced he had made a bid to buy the troubled track back in January 2014. It was rumoured F1 driver Sebastien Vettel was also interested, but the claim was quickly dismissed by his manager.
It’s a little too early to say what exactly will become of ‘The Green Hell’, which was opened in 1927. Formula One could make a return, for instance, although not without overcoming the numerous safety fears. Either way, we’re just glad the iconic track is here to stay.
What better way to celebrate than by watching our round-up of the 10 most memorable Nürburgring moments.
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