A lap of the Nurburgring with Frentzen

The start/finish straight is the one of the fastest part of the track.

You brake just under the bridge for the Castrol-S, and you run in third gear around the first corner. You use all the kerbs on the exit just to get as much track as possible. You shift up immediately on the exit into fourth gear, and just before approaching the following left-hander you just shift into fifth. However, you can also stay in fourth there. It depends on how much fuel you have on board.

You have to brake in the corner itself, before accelerating into the Ford curve. It's very difficult to make it if you are too quick in the corner before. Various drivers use different lines at Ford, but really no one has proved which is the best way. I've tested many lines, but it's hard to say which one is better.

Then you accelerate down the hill to the Dunlop hairpin. It's quite amazing how late you can brake for Dunlop. It's taken in second gear, and it's nothing special really. Some people might try to overtake there, but most of the time you will have contact with the enemy!

Then you go up from Dunlop corner, through second, third and fourth. It's all flat through the left-right S. In the right-hander you shift into fifth gear. It's quite a steep hill, actually, and it's one of the most exciting parts of the track. But I especially like the combination that follows it - the RTL corner and the Bit corner.

These two corners have got a lot of grip, and they are really enjoyable. You can really feel the car biting there, because the corner is at an angle. And it's pretty much important to be as early as possible on the power. If you are a fraction too late on the power that means the guy behind you has the chance to come closer into the tow.

The next right-hander is not really a corner for us, and it's taken flat. But the Veedol Chicane is the slowest part of the track. The cars really hit the kerbs hard there. I think the previous version was faster and nicer - now it's taken in first gear and is very slow, and it kills the flow of the circuit.

It's possible to find an opportunity to overtake there, but because it's a very slow the chances are very high again that you will touch.

You have quite a lot of wheelspin coming out, because the grip level is not that high. Then you accelerate up to the last corner, which you take in second. You try to carry as much speed out of the corner as possible; being early on the power is very important there as it leads onto the pit straight