Doubts about Germany races
Formula 1 boss: “Are not welfare”
07/02/2023 09:28 am
Formula 1 has not been driving in Germany for three years and a return is not in sight. The German market remains important for the motorsport premier class and Managing Director Stefano Domenicali is open. But there is a big catch.
Managing Director Stefano Domenicali would like Formula 1 to return to Germany – but not at any price. “We don’t ask for 100 million euros for a Grand Prix – but we’re not welfare either. A Grand Prix must also be worthwhile for us,” said the 58-year-old to “Bild am Sonntag”. He is also ready to talk to politicians about it. “If Chancellor Olaf Scholz or the responsible minister are open to it, I can be reached at any time,” said Domenicali: “I want sustainable and secure financing to make Germany a Formula 1 country again.”
But the competition is fierce, with many locations vying for a race. “I don’t know an exact number, but there are many. Last year I said that I could increase the calendar to 32 races overnight. Now there are even more,” said Domenicali: “Madrid wants to host a Grand Prix, for example . It’s about finding a good balance.”
Back in Germany in 2026 at the earliest?
Most recently, there were races in Germany in 2019 (Hockenheimring) and 2020 (Nürburgring), since then Formula 1 has avoided the country of car manufacturers. The financing of the entrance fee in the middle two-digit million range is still the big problem. It is also not yet possible to foresee when the situation will improve in the next few years. Jorn Teske, Managing Director of the Hockenheimring, recently said that a return to the racing calendar would probably not be realistic until 2026 at the earliest.
“If the financial framework stayed the way it was in the past and the risk stayed the way it was in the past, then it doesn’t seem very realistic,” Teske said. “We are, were and remain in contact with Formula 1 and are always exploring together whether there is a possibility,” said Teske: “You cannot financially refinance the entry fees purely through ticket sales.” Therefore, alternative sources of revenue and donors would have to be found.
Racing series boss Domenicali finds the German interest in Formula 1, which has been declining for years, “a great pity”, as he said. The German market continues to be “very important for us. Especially with the entry of Audi in 2026,” emphasized the Italian. The car manufacturer from Ingolstadt will have its own team in two and a half years.