1976 German Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 10 of 16 in the 1976 Formula One season | |||
 |
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| Date | 1 August 1976 | ||
| Official name | XXXVIII Großer Preis von Deutschland | ||
| Location | Nürburgring, Nürburg, West Germany | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 22.835 km (14.19 mi) | ||
| Distance | 14 laps, 319.690 km (198.65 mi) | ||
| Weather | Rain at start, later drying | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | McLaren-Ford | ||
| Time | 7:06.5 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Jody Scheckter
|
Tyrrell-Ford | |
| Time | 7:10.8 on lap 13 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Ford | ||
| Second | Tyrrell-Ford | ||
| Third | McLaren-Ford | ||
The 1976 German Grand Prix (formally the XXXVIII Großer Preis von Deutschland) was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976. It was the scene of reigning world champion Niki Lauda's near fatal accident, and the last Formula One race to be held on the Nordschleife section of the track. The 14-lap race was the tenth round of the 1976 Formula One season and was won by James Hunt.
The old Nürburgring was considered to be the most challenging and demanding purpose-built circuit in the world. Measuring at 14.2 miles (22.8 km), it was by far the longest circuit on the calendar and because it was built in the Eifel mountains; it had over 1,000 feet (300 m) of elevation change. Although it had been slightly remodeled in 1971, it still retained much of the character that led three-time world champion Jackie Stewart to nickname it "The Green Hell". The circuit's extraordinary size meant that it needed at least five times the number of marshals and medical support as almost any other Grand Prix to properly maintain it, something the German organizers were unable to provide. Additionally, by its very nature it was impossible to upgrade it to the increased safety standards of the 1970s. It was narrow, had very few run-off areas, and numerous sections were nearly inaccessible to fire marshals. It was also very bumpy—indeed, at a number of points, including the Flugplatz and Pflanzgarten, the cars could actually become airborne. The sheer size of the circuit also meant that weather and track conditions around it could vary wildly with some sections dry and others wet, making a safe choice of tyres difficult or impossible. Two weeks previously, a fatal crash at Flugplatz had occurred during practice for a Formula Super-Vee race which, according to Autosport, was the 131st fatality at the Nürburgring over its 49-year history. It was also unsuitable for television; its sheer size made it all but impossible to adequately cover a race there. For these reasons, it had been decided even before the 1976 race that after nearly half a century, it would be the last German Grand Prix held on the old Nürburgring and the last on the Nordschleife section.
Defending world champion Niki Lauda, who was also the current season's points leader, was not impressed with safety conditions on the leviathan German circuit, especially since the forecast called for rain. He attempted to arrange a boycott of the race, but the other drivers voted against it by just one vote, and the race went ahead.
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