Sachsenring’s spectacular Turn 11 unchanged for 2014

One of the most jaw-dropping and spectacular corners on the MotoGP calendar – Sachsenring’s famous Turn 11 – will not be modified for 2014.

The downhill plunge, nicknamed the ‘Waterfall’, faced a revamp for this season, with a new layout designed to improve safety.

The blind entry right-hander is taken flat-out in fourth gear at around 130mph but comes after a series of left corners.

The tricky section has caught almost every rider out in the past, with tyre temperature on the right dropping significantly. The result has often been very expensive and very painful crashes from a corner that undoubtedly tests talent and bravery more than any other section on the calendar.

It is not an uncommon sight to see riders lose the rear or front at Turn 11, though no single rider crashed at that point during last year’s German Grand Prix after several fell practice.

MotoGP Safety Officer Loris Capirossi and FIM Safety Officer Franco Uncini carried out a site visit at the Sachsenring in early March to consider ways of altering Turn 11.
Capirossi rode a BMW S1000RR to test a new racing line at Turn 10 and 11, which was made out of mobile steel kerbing, ahead of a permanent track modification that would be implemented for 2015.

But after additional meetings in the Safety Commission, several riders expressed opposition to the modifications and thankfully Turn 11 and the fast approach from Turn 10 will remain unchanged.

MCN understands that additional testing will take place this year to check if the circuit does need to modify Turn 11 in 2015 or beyond.

A Sachsenring spokesman told MCN: “Our prime concern is the safety of the riders and we were obviously willing to change Turn 11. We were working closely with the Safety Commission representatives to meet their requirements but it seems that the majority of riders were in favour of the current layout remaining.”

The Sachsenring race will take place on July 13.