Takuma Sato's lap of the Nurburgring.

BAR-Honda driver Takuma Sato describes a lap of the Nurburgring - site of this weekend's European Grand Prix...

"The Nurburgring is where I had my European racing debut in Formula Opel, so I have lots of good memories of the circuit. This is a great track for me, with some high-speed technical corners, and I am very much looking forward to returning to the N?rburgring this weekend.

"On a qualifying lap of the N?rburgring we approach turn one in seventh gear at over 300kmh. We brake very hard to get through the hairpin at the beginning of the Mercedes Arena and take the hairpin very slowly in first gear. You need to get a good exit for the following long left-hander taken at over 150kmh on entry. As you exit it's a quick flick to the right before re-joining the old track and building up on your speed to around 280kmh in sixth gear.

"Next you brake for turn five, which is a quick left-hander. You have to carry a lot of speed through here to set yourself up for the Ford Kurve which is a second gear right-hand corner taken at about 100 kmh. You have to get just the right line here to have good exit speed for the following straight.

"You now build up your speed again to 300kmh in seventh gear to the Dunlop Kurve - a long hairpin where you brake almost continuously through the corner, holding hard onto your position, but maintaining speeds of around 100kmh.

"The track then goes uphill to a quick left-hand corner, taken at 260kmh in sixth gear, then a right flick immediately afterwards.

"Now we build up speed for the left-hand RTL Kurve. We brake heavily approaching this corner, but still carry a lot of speed through it. It is important to get a good line to re-settle the car ready for the BIT Kurve, a 170kmh right-hander, which comes up quite quickly as the track starts to go downhill. You need a good exit to have good speed for the following straight.

"Full throttle all the way now to the Veedol chicane. There is a very heavy braking area before Veedol, which can provide overtaking opportunities but the chicane itself is really tight and we have to take it at about 100kmh in second gear.

"The last corner is the low speed Coca-Cola Kurve. It is a right-hander, taken in second gear, then it's full power again to cross over the start/finish line down the straight and complete the lap..."