Nürburgring rules out return to F1

The Nürburgring circuit is one of the most famous in Formula 1 and motor sports in general. The track hosted the German Grand Prix when it was created in 1926, then from 1951 to 1976 as part of the Formula 1 world championship.

The first configuration, the Nordschleife, was known to be one of the most difficult and dangerous in the world, stretching over a length of more than 20 km. It was on the Nordschleife that Niki Lauda suffered a serious accident in 1976 in a crash that almost cost him his life. With the circuit deemed unsuitable for F1, the German Grand Prix eventually moved to Hockenheim.

Remodeled in a shortened version, the Nürburgring made its return to the premier category hosting another German race, under the badge of the European Grand Prix or the Luxembourg Grand Prix. From 2007, it was concluded that the country would only host one event, alternating between the Hockenheim track in even years and the Nürburgring in odd years.

F1 has not raced in Germany since 2015, the two tracks having disappeared from the calendar. The Nürburgring nevertheless made a brief return to the discipline in 2020, being one of the few to have hosted the premier category during a year disrupted by COVID-19.

While Formula 1 currently has its busiest calendar, many countries are lining up to get the green light from the FIA ​​to host a Grand Prix. However, candidates who cannot count on the support of their government and who do not have the necessary financial resources have been excluded.

“For these reasons, the project is not feasible in this form for us as a private company”explained Nürburgring spokesperson Alexander Gerhard to Sky Sports Germany. “Since the last discussion, more than a year ago, no other discussion has taken place with the organizer of the discipline.”

However, the possibility of a German Grand Prix being staged again has not been completely erased, as Hockenheim's owners, the Emodrom Group, have not given up on the idea of ​​Formula 1 making a return. in the country that gave us Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg.

“We have been working behind the scenes for more than four years to develop the Hockenheimring as a leading racing circuit and now we want to realize future-oriented projects”explains Tim Brauer, general manager of Emodrom, to Welt.

“Of course we are also thinking about Formula 1, but we are approaching these considerations very cautiously. We are not going to splurge financially, but we are trying to find ways to bring Formula 1 back to Germany. “

The management of the 24 races that currently make up the F1 seasons is a matter of debate. While some countries like the United States host up to three rounds, other emblematic circuits like Spa-Francorchamps must reduce their presence on the calendar, or even give it up completely, like the Dutch Grand Prix.

The FIA ​​and F1 are also trying to expand into countries rarely visited by the premier category, such as in Africa with the candidacy of Rwanda and South Africa.