F1 boss Carey fighting to secure German GP future

Formula 1 CEO and chairman Chase Carey has vowed to fight to retain the presence of the German Grand Prix on the calendar. 

Last month’s German Grand Prix at Hockenheim – which marked the final race before its current contract runs out at the end of the season – provided a thrilling spectacle as Lewis Hamilton won from 14^th on the grid after Sebastian Vettel crashed out while leading. 

Despite the race proving a hit with a near sell-out crowd of over 70,000 fans attending the venue on Sunday following a one-year absence, the round is set to drop off the calendar for the foreseeable future unless a new deal can be struck. 

Alongside its aims to crack new markets in America and Asia, F1 owners Liberty Media have made its intentions clear to keep a number of historic races in Europe, with the Belgian Grand Prix recently securing a new contract to retain the race until 2021, though the future of the British Grand Prix remains uncertain after it decided to exercise a break clause from 2019. 

Carey revealed he is determined to find a solution to ensure F1 retains what he described as an “important” race. 

“We're fighting for it,” he told Sport Bild. “Hockenheim is an important track, Germany is an automotive nation with a big fan base and it's an important country for us.

“The scene in the stadium section this year was impressive. And yes, obviously we want Formula 1 to continue to keep growing with you [Germany]. But we need partners that would engage with and support a race. We are working on that.”

F1 has put on hold plans to introduce a race on the streets of Miami next season due to planning problems, instead postponing a round in the Florida state until 2020. As a result, next year’s calendar is set to drop back to 20 races – the same amount as in 2017 – unless a new contract can be agreed with Germany. 

Carey also gave his view on this year’s title fight, with momentum swinging between Hamilton and Vettel on a race-by-race basis. Hamilton holds a 24-point advantage over Vettel heading into the final nine races of the season, following back-to-back victories in Germany and Hungary prior to the summer break. 

"The two biggest stars are racing head to head for the world championship," Carey said. "The advantage that we have in Formula 1 is that, while other sports like football have top teams playing against each other, we have that as well as having these duels of man against man. When two different characters collide this is electrifying.

"The duel between Vettel and Hamilton is so epic; it's like john McEnroe v Jimmy Connors,” he added. “Both are big champions and they fight with everything they have against each other -- especially for their fifth title. And Hamilton with his big emotional gestures does us a big favour because he polarises opinion with that."