How a shoot at the Nürburgring works
Filming at the Ring is mostly a question of coordination: when the track is free, what else is running that day, who may go where, and what may fly. This page sets out how that works and which parts we take on.
Where you film at the Nürburgring
The Ring is not one location but several. Which one suits your project depends on the footage you need — and on what is available on your date.
Nordschleife
The footage most people come for. Shooting there needs its own track time. Whether you film during running operations or on a closed track changes the whole plan: the rules during running operations are strict, and drone flights and car-to-car work are not simply available.
Grand Prix circuit
Shorter distances, a schedule you can hold, pit lane and grandstands in shot. Often the more practical choice for productions with a lot of equipment and fixed camera positions.
Paddock and pit lane
Teams, equipment and the work itself. This is where documentary and reportage footage comes from — and the shots between the laps.
Our studio
Right on the start-finish straight. Gallery, green screen, interviews and editing with no travel time to the track.
What has to be agreed before the camera rolls
A “filming permit” at the Ring is rarely one piece of paper. Depending on the production several clearances belong together, and they depend on each other.
- Track time: when you are on the track and for how long.
- Closure: whether the track is closed for the shoot or you film during running operations.
- Access: who may go where and when — crew, vehicles and equipment.
- Drone clearance: for FPV and cine drones, depending on the use and on what else runs that day.
- Safety concept: depending on the production, particularly for camera positions along the track.
Who grants the permit
That depends on who has hired the track on your date. As a rule permits run through Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co. KG.
Filming during an event
If you want to film during an event — at an NLS round or the 24h race — the permit works differently than on a free date. We handle that coordination for you as well.
nürburgring.tv is part of the Nürburgring. None of these clearances are yours to chase: we have been arranging them for our own productions for years — every broadcast of the 2025 endurance series came out of our gallery.
The track is hired in time slots
Track time is charged separately. What a slot costs, though, does not come down to its length alone — the purpose of the shoot counts as well.
One car on track or several makes a difference.
A pure shoot day is assessed differently from an official speed record attempt.
A record attempt brings additional safety requirements — and with them a different cost structure.
There are also filming slots outside regular track operations, under strict conditions. Whether one of them fits what you have in mind is something we work out in the first conversation.
From enquiry to finished versions
What makes this different from a shoot anywhere else is the second step: before we talk concept and equipment, the date has to fit the track. And the fourth: every hour of track hire costs money, so over the years we have built a way of working that gets a lot of footage out of little track time.
Enquiry with a date
Tell us briefly what you have in mind and when. For a shoot at the Ring the date is the first question, not the last.
Check what is possible
We check whether the track, the day's operations and the footage you want fit together — and tell you early if something does not.
Planning and clearances
Concept, schedule, crew, equipment and budget. Alongside that: track time, access, drones and, where needed, the safety concept.
Shoot day
We provide the production crew and the equipment. Routes, timings and camera positions are settled beforehand, so the time on track goes into footage and not into organising.
Edit and versions
Editing, colour, sound, graphics and subtitles. What you get at the end are the versions you need — for TV, your website and social media.
What we shoot with at the Ring
Driving footage rarely comes from one perspective. What goes out depends on the shot you need — and on what is cleared that day.
- Camera car for driving footage on track
- Helicopter and air-to-air for aerial work
- FPV drone, including during racing
- Cine drone for steady aerial shots
- Onboard cameras in the car, live via TrackStream
- Camera positions along the track
Shoots that ran this way
For the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra record run we delivered footage from the Nordschleife: camera cars, a helicopter and camera positions along the closed track. For the ADAC 24h race we made a 16-minute film, and the Nürburgring brand film was produced entirely by us.
Common questions about filming at the Ring
Who grants the filming permit at the Nürburgring?
It depends on who has hired the track on your date. As a rule permits run through Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co. KG. If you want to film during an event, an NLS round or the 24h race, the route is a different one. nürburgring.tv is part of the Nürburgring: we handle that coordination for you either way.
Do you need a permit to film at the Nürburgring?
For professional footage on track, yes. What exactly you need depends on where and when you film and what you bring. Track time and access are always part of it; drone clearance and a safety concept depend on the production. We arrange all of it for your shoot.
Can you film on a closed track?
It happens. For the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra record run we delivered footage from the closed Nordschleife, with camera cars, a helicopter and camera positions along the track. Whether a closure is possible for your project depends on the date and on what else runs that day. We settle that early in the planning.
What is possible on the Nordschleife during running operations?
The rules during running operations are strict. Drone flights and car-to-car footage are not simply available there. We have the contacts and the experience to get those shots where they are possible — and we tell you early when something will not work on your date.
Is track time charged separately?
Yes. The track can be hired in set time slots. What a slot costs does not come down to its length alone but to the purpose: one car on track or several makes a difference, and a pure shoot day is assessed differently from an official speed record attempt. A record attempt brings additional safety requirements and with them a different cost structure.
Can you film on track outside regular operations?
Yes — there are filming slots outside regular track operations. They come with strict conditions. Whether such a slot fits what you have in mind, and whether one is free on your date, is something we work out in the first conversation.
How far ahead should I get in touch?
As early as you can, because track availability is part of what decides whether something is possible. A corporate film usually takes four to eight weeks from the first conversation to delivery; live broadcasts are often planned several months ahead. We will still look at short-notice work — tell us the date and the scope.
Are drones allowed at the Nürburgring?
FPV footage is possible during racing too. Whether a flight can happen on your production depends on the use and on the clearances required. At the Nürburgring we handle that coordination.
We have a concept and an agency. Will you just do the shoot at the Ring?
Yes. We work as a production partner for agencies and brands. Depending on the job we provide crew, camera equipment, camera car, drone, helicopter and a mobile gallery — and for the Ring the track time and permits. Send us your concept and the date you have in mind.
What does a shoot day at the Nürburgring cost?
It depends on shoot days, crew, equipment and post. For work on track, track hire comes on top, and that runs by the hour — which is why we plan the day to get a lot of footage out of little track time. After the first conversation we give you a cost range before we work up the concept. If you already have a budget, tell us straight away.
Tell us about your shoot
Describe what you have in mind and the date you want. We will tell you what is possible at the Ring — and what it takes.