Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, spoke about the possibility of the German Grand Prix returning to the category’s calendar. In an interview with Motorsport Magazin, Domenicali highlighted the importance of the German market for F1, but also recognized the challenges faced in reconquering the country, which has hosted historic races, including the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim and the 2020 Eifel GP at the Nurburgring circuit during the pandemic.
“I have always said that the German market is very important. We have many partners and manufacturers in Germany,” Domenicali stated. However, he also observed that over the past few decades, the popularity of Formula 1 in Germany has decreased significantly, making it difficult to include the country in the calendar on a regular basis.
Despite acknowledging that the return of the German Grand Prix is not a priority at the moment, due to a lack of interest from some parts of the German market, Domenicali emphasized that F1 is not desperate: “We have many requests from different parts of the world. If the German market does not prioritize the return of Formula 1 to the country, we will have to accept that and move on,” the Italian added.
However, the F1 CEO remains open to negotiations: “We are ready and open to any kind of conversation. I see some positive signs on the horizon and hope that this will develop over the next few months,” he completed.
Germany has recently returned to the spotlight in the automotive scene, with Max Verstappen participating in the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), the famous championship that takes place on the legendary Nordschleife-Nurburgring circuit, which is 22 km long and also known as the ‘Green Hell’. This has rekindled hopes of a possible return of Formula 1 to the country, especially on historic tracks like Hockenheimring or Nurburgring.
