After the point-and-squirt nature of Imola, the fifth round of the championship moved to the more flowing Nurburgring circuit, host of the European Grand Prix - although the track is anything but the typical fast flowing European track.
The track is tightly packed with a sequence of corners - some of which are longer and faster sequences; but it is primarily distinguished by slower corners. This places the track on the high downforce end of the scale, in order for the cars to grip in the tighter corners; but mechanical grip is also critical, albeit on a smoother and relatively kerb-free track in comparison to Imola.
Being in the German forest, the track historically suffers from mixed weather conditions, and the usual cooler weather makes it hard for the teams to get temperature into the tyres. This year, however, saw another race with atypically warm weather, which eased the problems with cold tyres and the resulting understeer they bring.
With the season well underway and reliability being mixed around the grid, around half of the cars on the grid entered the Grand Prix with new engines.