Formula One today is such a slick and highly organised travelling circus, prepared to erect its “big top” anywhere where the money is good, that everyone would be assembled and organised on our village green if the money was right. It would only be on Friday morning at the scheduled 10 am when practice was due to start that someone would say “here, wait a minute, we can’t race on grass”. One thing that the new Nürburgring does have is good facilities, spacious pit lane, large workshops, vast paddock area, hospitality suites above the pits, heat, light and sound in the garages and obviously ease of entry into the Formula One sanctum judging by the number of children in the pit lane.
There were numerous changes to the pit lane scene. Enzo Osella, who has been financing his little single-car team for Ghinzani, has reached the end of the financial road. Piercarlo Ghinzani has been driving for the fun of it, with no money being involved, but now Enzo has been forced to ask him to stand down and make way for a driver with financial backing that he can put into the team. This is the amiable Dutchman Huub Rothengatter, so car number 24 was in new hands. Being quite fair and straightforward Ken Tyrrell nominated Stefan Bellof to drive the lone Tyrrell-Renault turbo, as Brundle had driven it in the British GP, so it was only right and proper that Bellof should drive it in the German GP. As one car is a Tyrrell-Renault and the other, which Brundle was to drive, a Tyrrell-Cosworth they are considered to be two different makes and this transgresses some obscure rule in the Concorde agreement. Officialdom said if the drivers changed numbers all would be well, so Bellof became No 3 and Brundle No 4.
Stefan Johansson set the second fastest time in his Ferrari
