Daniel Ricciardo says he would take a pass on an opportunity to race on the Nürburgring's daunting Nordschleife after sampling the treacherous 22.8km 'Green Hell'.
The track's legendary status was built over nine decades of motorsport adventures, extraordinary achievements and gut-wrenching dramas.
Formula 1's residency at the north loop, or the 'Green Hell' as Sir Jackie Stewart once called it, was terminated in 1976, after Niki Lauda's near-fatal crash.
The track survived the blow however, hosting sports car and touring car races, but also transforming itself into a recreational roller-coaster for anyone bold enough to venture out in a road car and experience the venue's collection of blind curves, steep slopes, sudden drop-offs or changing conditions.
Ahead of last week's Eifel Grand Prix, Ricciardo put in some laps onboard a Renault Megan, a rather harmless piece of machinery. Yet, the Aussie admitted to being shaken by his the low speed rush around the original Ring.
"I scared myself, let's say that," recounted Ricciardo, quoted by Autosport.
"We did it with the team with Renault on Thursday evening, and it was pretty greasy.
"I don't know the track - I don't play it on gaming or anything, so I don't know it off the top of my head.
"But I scared myself in the first 500 metres, and that set the tone for the next 22 kilometres or whatever - I was timid, let's say that.
"But it's beautiful, it's fun. Would I race there for 24 hours with 180 cars on track? I'm good, thanks. Call me old, but I'm fine where I am!"
Ricciardo said his outing last week was actually his second time on the Nordschleife.
"I drove it in 2008, in my own car at the time, which was a Fiat Punto," he remembered. "And believe it or not, I still went off the track in the Fiat.
"There was one part of the track, I remember it was a little bit of a blind left uphill - the corner really tightened, and I wasn't prepared.
"I understeered off and went over the kerb and cut across the grass. Fortunately, I stayed out of the barriers.
"But it's an amazing track - I know now to race F1 there, it's slightly unrealistic, but just to drive anything around there, it's narrow, it's old-school.
"It's different types of Tarmac throughout the track, patches where they're resurfaced. The Karussell is pretty iconic too."
Check out the video of Ricciardo's field trip around the Nordschleife along with Renault team mate Esteban Ocon.
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