I hiked up the hill and down the other side to reach one of the most famous spots, the Karussell. This is a steeply banked section made from concrete, and the site of many famous photographs. The spectator area goes pretty close to the track.

One of the cars in the tire test was the 2010 Porsche Panamera, which seems designed for Mercedes Benz S-Class buyers who want a bit more sport in their luxury.

There were also quite a few mystery cars with seemingly prototype bits and bobs held on with duct tape or rivets.

After a few hours of hiking I returned to the ticket booth, wondering if I’d be able to get my rental car on the track. The woman at the booth didn’t care, as long as I had the 22 euros. I had some more time to kill, but there was lots to look at. The place was great for car watching, with Ferarris, a Gallardo, Lotus Elises, a TVR Chimera, 911s buy the bushel, BMWs and Audis buy the score, Caterhams, and even a few Corvettes. There were also loads of motorbikes. Some guys wandered around in their Armani jeans and racing shoes, casually dusting off their carbon fiber mirrors or checking their tire pressures.