F1 German GP future remains in doubt

The future of Formula 1’s German Grand Prix continues to be unclear after its current deal expires this season with no new arrangement in place.

After being absent from last year’s F1 race calendar the German race returns at Hockenheim this year, along with the French GP after a 10-year omission, to bolster the calendar to 21 rounds in 2018.

But F1’s future in Germany remains unknown with the current deal ending this year and no new agreement set in place by F1 owners Liberty Media. Hockenheim’s existing deal, secured with Bernie Ecclestone, has seen Hockenheim and the Nurburgring share hosting duties since 2007 but due to financial reasons the Nuburgring has failed to host the 2015 and 2017 German GPs - while Hockenheim CEO Georg Seiler fears the race’s future is far from certain with no new deal in place beyond 2018.

“The contract is over in 2018,” Seiler told German publication MotorsportMagazin.com. “We’ve met with the new owners and talked, because we have to carry out the 2018 GP. It is well known that there are going to be talks about what the future will look like in the foreseeable future, but no serious discussions have taken place yet.

“In the next few months negotiations must be properly carried out. Unfortunately, I cannot say yet whether things will continue in a positive way. I can only say that we strive to continue to keep Formula 1 in Germany. But there are many factors involved.

“With us it remains that we do not want to take economic risks and will not do so. We do our best, but we cannot guarantee anything.”

Seiler says Hockenheim’s relationship with F1 owners Liberty has begun positively but warns the situation could change when it negotiates a potential new deal for 2019 and beyond. The circuit boss also hints at being open to sharing the F1 race with the Nurburgring on alternate years but accepts a deal which suits all parties must be locked down as a priority.

“The relationship is friendly, but when it comes to numbers, you have to wait and see what the reactions are,” he said. "They know our situation, they know that it is not easy to organise F1 at the Hockenheimring or in general in Germany.

“Both the Nürburgring and the Hockenheimring deserve an F1 race because they are the two big traditional racetracks. It would therefore be good if the alternation came.

“But we do not have to decide that, we are a negotiating partner who has his opinion. That's the same for the Nürburgring too, but it will depend on whether only one is ready or both. The wish would be that the alternation is resumed under the right conditions.”

After the loss of the Malaysian Grand Prix last year, the British race is another under threat after Silverstone bosses confirmed it had activated a break clause in its contract which means 2019 is set to be its last F1 race.