The Sachsenring () is a

motorsport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...

racing circuit A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...

located in

Hohenstein-Ernstthal Hohenstein-Ernstthal () is a town in the Zwickau rural district, Saxony, Germany. The towns of Hohenstein and Ernstthal were united in 1898, and the town is either known by its hyphenated form, or simply called Hohenstein. The town grew in the 15 ...

near

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Among other events, it features the annual

German motorcycle Grand Prix The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is a motorcycling event that is part of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. The event is due to take place at the Sachsenring until at lea ...

of the

FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...

Grand Prix motorcycle racing Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on Road racing, road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held sin ...

world championship.

History

Liesel 04-2011 Streckenkarte Sachsenring

The first race was held on 26 May 1927 on an layout on public roads, running also through the village of

itself. It was dubbed "Sachsenring" in 1937. The

East German motorcycle Grand Prix The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is a motorcycling event that is part of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. The event is due to take place at the Sachsenring until at least 2026. History The first two ''Großer ...

was held there from 1961 to 1972. The local

two stroke A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes of the piston, one up and one down, in one revolution of the crankshaft in contrast to a four-stroke engine which re ...

MZ bikes of

Zschopau Zschopau (), is a town in the Erzgebirgskreis district of Saxony, Germany. The town grew around the castle, which was built in the mid-12th century to protect the Salt Road, which crossed the Zschopau River here. Mining was also practiced from ...

were competitive during this time. The quickest lap was achieved by 15 time World Champion

Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini (; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977, most prominently as a member of ...

on a

MV Agusta MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is an Italian high end motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded by Domenico Agusta, Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of ...

with a average. After West German

Dieter Braun Dieter Braun (born 2 February 1943) is a German former professional motorcycle road racing, road racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to . He won the 1970 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, 1970 Fédération Internationale ...

won in 1971 and the East German fans sang the West German National Anthem in celebration (as is the case in sport, the winner's National Anthem is played after the event), the event was limited to East European entrants for political reasons. In 1990, with faster Western machinery now available, racing through the village became too dangerous with some fatalities (this can be compared with the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...

Jorge Lorenzo leads the pack 2018 Sachsenring

To accelerate redevelopment of eastern Germany in the new unified Germany, a short track ''berg'' corner was built in the 1990s to bring international motorsport to the eastern part of Germany. In 1996, IDM motorcycle racing and the

ADAC The ADAC, officially the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (), is Europe's largest automobile association. The ADAC is the largest wikt:Verein, ''verein'' (club) in Germany, with around 21 million members. Its headquarters are located i ...

Super Tourenwagen Cup The Super Tourenwagen Cup, or German Supertouring Championship, was a touring car racing series held between 1994 and 1999 in Germany. The championship was established when BMW and Audi both left the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) in 199 ...

resumed racing here. The

DTM DTM may refer to: Sport * Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a motor-racing series staged annually in Germany since 2000 * Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, a motor-racing championship staged in Germany from 1984 to 1995 Computing * Data Transfer ...

raced here in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, with

Klaus Ludwig Klaus Karl Ludwig (born 5 October 1949) is a German racing driver. He had a very successful career winning a total of 118 races. Biography He also known as ''König Ludwig'' (" King Ludwig") for his success in touring cars and in sports car r ...

winning at age 51, but the DTM did not return after 2002, preferring international venues. DTM returned to Sachsenring in 2023 after its take-over by

due to its preference of using national venues again. Since 1998, the

moved to the Sachsenring from

Nürburgring The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...

. In recent years, the track has been made faster and longer again, with the length now being . Since 2007, the Sachsenring is part of the regular schedule of

ADAC GT Masters The ADAC GT Masters is a grand tourer-based auto racing series founded by the international Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) and supported by the German ADAC automotive club. Similar to an earlier ADAC GT Cup series in the 1990s, the new GT ...

. In 2011 the

FIA GT1 World Championship The FIA GT1 World Championship was a world championship sports car racing series, developed by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation, SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), that was held from 2010 to 2012. I ...

held one of its race weekends at the Sachsenring.

Layout history

File:Hohenstein-Ernstthal Sachsenring circuit map.png, Original Circuit (1927–1990) File:Sachsenring 1998–1999.png, Grand Prix Circuit (1998–1999) File:Sachsenring 2001-2002.svg, Grand Prix Circuit (2001–2002) File:Sachsenring.svg, Grand Prix Circuit (2003–present)

Most wins

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Events

; Current * May: ADAC Sachsenring Classic * July:

'',

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is a motorcycle racing series contested by young, up-and-coming motorcycle riders, who have not had experience in a Motorcycle Grand Prix, motorcycle grand prix previously. The class was founded in 2007, and since t ...

Northern Talent Cup The Northern Talent Cup is a one-make European motorcycle racing series. It was created to give young riders from Central and Northern European countries a first stepping stone on the road to MotoGP. The series races on the KTM 250 Standard ...

* August:

Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, commonly abbreviated as the DTM, is a sports car racing series sanctioned by ADAC. The series is based in Germany, with rounds elsewhere in Europe. The series currently races a modified version of Group GT3 gra ...

Porsche Carrera Cup Germany The Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, (currently known as Porsche SIXT Carrera Cup Deutschland; known as Porsche 944 Turbo Cup between 1986–1989) is a one-make racing series by Porsche based in Germany. Champions Circuits * Adria International ...

ADAC GT4 Germany The ADAC GT4 Germany is a grand tourer-based auto racing series that is largely held in Germany. The races are held as part of the ADAC GT Masters, and GT4 vehicles are used. The championship took place for the first time in 2019. History On 27 J ...

, NXT Gen Cup ; Former *

ADAC Formel Masters ADAC Formel Masters was an ADAC sanctioned open wheel racing series based in Germany, held annually from 2008 to 2014. It was replacement of the local Formula BMW championship. The first season was in 2008 and is the main feeder series to the ATS F ...

(2008–2014) *

ADAC Formula 4 ADAC Formula 4 () was a racing series regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural season was the 2015 ADAC Formula 4. It replaced the ADAC Formel Masters, held from 2008 to 2014. History Gerhard Berger and the FIA Single S ...

(2015–2017, 2019, 2021) *

(2007–2023) *

ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship The ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series based in Germany. History On 16 September 2015, the German Series was launched by ADAC and Engstler Motorsport, who already run in the International Series. The new categ ...

(2016–2022) *

Austria Formula 3 Cup The Austria Formula 3 Cup is an open wheel racing series based in Austria. The series has run since 1982 and regular visits such circuits as the Salzburgring and the Red Bull Ring in Austria, the Autodrom Most and the Masaryk Circuit, Brno Circui ...

(1998, 2005) *

FIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup FIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup (Pure ETCR during its first season) was a touring car series for electric cars. It was the first multi-brand all-electric touring car championship and in 2022 obtained the status of an official FIA series. Ho ...

(2022) *

(2011) * Formula BMW ADAC (2000–2002) *

Formula Renault 2.0 Germany In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

(2004–2005) *

German Formula Three Championship The German Formula Three Championship was the national Formula Three championship of Germany, and the former West Germany, from 1950 to 2002, then as Formel 3 until 2014. In 2003, the series had merged with the French Formula Three Championship ...

(1997–2002, 2004–2005, 2007–2014) *

** ''

'' (1961–1972) * (1996–1997, 2003–2006, 2008–2013, 2020, 2023–2024) *

MotoE World Championship The FIM Enel MotoE World Championship (formerly known as the MotoE World Cup) is a class of motorcycle racing that uses only electric motorcycles. The series is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM and the 2019 Mo ...

** ''German eRace'' (2019, 2023–2024) * (2024) *

Sidecar World Championship FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949. It was formerly named Supersi ...

(2005–2014, 2018, 2023–2024) *

(1996–1999) *

V8Star Series The V8Star Series was a touring car racing series based in Germany that ran for three seasons between 2001 and 2003. The series featured privateers racing identical cars that were covered in different silhouette designs to create visual diversi ...

(2003)

Lap records

As of September 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Sachsenring are listed as:

Spectators at the MotoGP since 1998

References

Bibliography

* Wolfgang Hallmann: ''Das war der Sachsenring – Geschichte und Gegenwart einer legendären Rennstrecke''; Chemnitzer Verlag, Chemnitz; 1996;

External links

Traffic safety center Sachsenring siteGerman page

Official website

Satellite View of Sachsenring from Google Maps
{{Authority control Motorsport venues in Saxony 1927 establishments in Germany Grand Prix motorcycle circuits Hohenstein-Ernstthal Sports venues completed in 1927