Seven times World Formula 1 Champion, Michael Schumacher led a Mercedes-AMG display of power at the Nordschleife.
Ahead of the 2013 Nurburgring 24 Hour aboard a Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team W02 along with a group of Silver Arrows stablemates including Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour winner, Bernd Schneider.
Schumacher’s lap was the first time that a modern Formula 1 car has lapped the Green Hell since Nick Heidfeld took a BMW around there in 2007 and the first time a modern day Mercedes F1 machine has lapped the ‘Ring since Juan Manuel Fangio’s win in 1954.
Schumacher led the display that included Schneider in an SLS AMG GT3 Gullwing, modern day F1 pilot Nico Rosberg in an SLS AMG Black Edition, Karl Wendlinger and Formula 1 Safety Car pilot, Bernd Maylander. Schneider is racing in the event with Black-Falcon who won the Dubai 24 Hour this year.
The display was a thank-you from Mercedes-AMG to the German fans.
The event is one of the biggest in Europe both in terms of car entries – which this year has attracted 175 – and fans, with some 250,000 packing the hills around the infamous racetrack. Drivers claim you can smell the barbecues and fires whilst powering around the 22 kilometre circuit.
The parties surrounding the circuit can rival Bathurst in it’s “good old days” with a tremendous atmosphere during both day and night.
This year the crowd were left with plenty of partying time when mid-way through the night, the red flag was thrown due to extreme fog and rain that struck the circuit. There were reports of flash flooding in places.
At the time of the red flag, regular Australian visitor, Allan Simonsen was leading in the Aston Martin he shares with Darren Turner, Pedro Lamy and Stefan Mucke.
Australian’s Mal Rose and Peter Leemhuis were running 65th in another Aston Martin.
The race is expected to resume at 3:30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.
VIDEO: Michael Schumacher leads Mercedes-AMG “Thank-you” lap
