Concerted effort in the works to keep Germany on the F1 calendar

The popular success of last weekend’s German Grand Prix and Miami’s now certain delay has opened up an opportunity for Formula 1 to keep Hockenheim on the calendar for 2019.

The German venue and Liberty Media had not been able to negotiate a mutually acceptable race fee for next year’s edition, but the event’s resounding success is encouraging all involved parties to reach an agreement for the future.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, for one, was highly impressed by the healthy attendance he saw at Hockenheim last Sunday.

“Obviously you could see how many people attended,” he said.

“It was absolutely full house with a lot of grandstands being filled up. Formula 1 is very alive in Germany and I’m really happy to see that because after the last couple of events here that wasn’t clear.

“After not having an event last year people came and they saw a great racing spectacle. So I hope that it’s going to continue, that the promoter and the state and Liberty are going to find a solution to keep the German Grand Prix.”

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The rescue talks have the backing of Germany’s two prominent automobile clubs, ADAC and AVD, but also the DMSB, Germany’s motor racing governing body, whose president is none other than former F1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck.

“We have long had an exchange with the race tracks, the automobile clubs and the politicians and welcome the new alliance to support the Hockenheimring,” said Stuck.

“Mercedes is doing a lot with the grandstands and marketing, but the Volkswagen Group is struggling with its Formula 1 entry as the manufacturers already there now want to stick with the complicated hybrid technology,” he added.

Another important individual who was privy to talks last weekend was Andreas Scheuer, Germany’s federal transport Minister.

“I got to know Chase Carey who is a smart businessman who hopefully will do a lot of good, even for a race in Germany,” he said.

As for Hockenheim itself, CEO Georg Seiler says the main problem is that the terms offered by Liberty expose it to unnecessary financial risk.

“We cannot legally take the risk as Hockenheimring GmbH,” he said. “But we are available as an organiser.”

F1 supremo Chase Carey told Bild newspaper: “We do not want to give up on Germany, which is an important market for us.”

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