Discussions about Hockenheim return have entered a ‘concrete phase’. Hockenheim wants to make money on Grand Prix.

In the last few weeks several European circuits have signed up to fill in the gaps of the calendar in case Formula 1 can’t agree with the originally planned Grands Prix. Among others the Hockenheimring is looking for a spot and seems to have a good chance.

Due to a lack of money, the race in Hockenheim for 2020 disappeared from the calendar, but the organization in Germany, due to the corona crisis, seems to be able to make a lightning-fast comeback. According to circuit director John Teske, this is no longer just an idea, but there are also concrete discussions.

“We have entered a more concrete phase”, he says to Motorsport.com. “Among other things, we are looking at the conditions to make such a thing possible – such as permissions, the number of infections and the availability of the circuit. And of course it’s also about the financial side”.

Hockenheim wants to make money on Grand Prix, especially now
Especially the latter is a tricky point given the history of the circuit and Teske emphasizes that a Grand Prix should not be a financial noose. In fact, he wants to make money. Because there shouldn’t be an audience, an alternative has to be found for the usual ‘hosting fee’.

It is a problem that Circuit Zandvoort is also struggling with and probably the reason is that we will not see a Dutch Grand Prix this year. Exactly how Teske intends to solve this, he doesn’t want to say yet, neither does he confirm possible date for the race. He only knows that this will be in the ‘European block’.