McLaren and Mercedes to test at the Nurburgring next week.
As previously reported, while there are no races in April due to the situation in the Middle East, the teams will still be in action, if only for tyre testing.
Though the post-Suzuka test was pretty much washed-out, Pirelli revealed two further tests, a wet test on 9 and 10 April at Fiorano with Ferrari, while next week, on 14 and 15 April, a dry test will take place at the Nurburgring, with Mercedes and McLaren.
While Max Verstappen has visited the full Nordschleife a couple of times over the last couple of years, this will be the first time F1 has visited the Strecke track since the pandemic, when, like so many other European tracks, it was pulled out of mothballs in order that the sport could put some form of schedule together.
Ironically, next week’s test only came about due to the cancellation of the test scheduled to take place in Bahrain following the Grand Prix there.
In the Schumacher era Germany hosted two races, but even when countryman Sebastian Vettel was dominating interest was already beginning to wane, while organisers were finding it increasingly difficult to come up with the hosting fees and as a result between 2008 and 2014 the country’s round of the world championship alternated between the Nurburgring and Hockenheim.
Prior to the pandemic, the Nurburgring last hosted a Grand Prix in 2013, Hockenheim hosting a further four events until it too dropped off the calendar in 2019.
While the 3.198 mile track is perfect for a mid-season (tyre) test, one would be forgiven for hoping that with two German teams on the grid a regular place on the calendar might be possible in time.
Neither team has confirmed its line-up for the test.