Porsche’s Timo Bernhard lapped the 20.832-kilometer Nurburgring Nordshleife circuit in 5 minutes and 19.55 seconds at an average speed of 233.8 km/h. Revered as the world’s most difficult track, the Nurburgring is known the world over as the benchmark for performance driving. The new record is nearly a minute faster than the previous record, which had stood for 35 years.
Bernhard is not new to the Nurburgring, having won its 24-hour race five times with overall wins. He’s also taken two outright wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours and is the world-reigning World Endurance Champion thanks to the Porsche 919 Hybrid. Bernhard considers the late Stefan Bellof, previous Nurburgring record holder, as a mentor and idol. “For me Stefan Bellof is and remains a giant”, he emphasises. “Today my respect for his achievement with the technology available back then increased even more.”
Aaron is an automotive journalist living in Wyoming, USA. His background includes technology, mechanics, commercial vehicles, and new vehicle evaluations. Aaron is a member of several automotive media groups and writes for many well-known publications.