The Nürburgring backs out: the rotating calendar is not enough, and F1 looks elsewhere. The historic German circuit has been absent from the top series since 2013. The last winner was Sebastian Vettel with Red Bull, before the German Grand Prix moved permanently to Hockenheim for the following four editions (2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019).
The crisis of historic European circuits continues to rage. A few months ago, Zandvoort decided to leave Formula 1 after 2026, which could once again distance the Netherlands from the championship. The feasibility of Assen potentially stepping in remains unclear. The renewal of Spa-Francorchamps, which opened the door to calendar rotation, has sparked both curiosity and concern among industry insiders.
The prevailing opinion is that Formula 1 does not want more than a certain number of races in Europe. The rising costs of contracts, along with the requirement to upgrade facilities to meet high international standards, acts as a filter. Few circuits are willing to invest the necessary funds to host a Grand Prix, fearing to end up with a negative balance.
This, it seems, is what is keeping a historic circuit like the Nürburgring away from Formula 1. In an interview with Sky, spokesperson Alexander Gerhard clarified: “For these reasons, the project is not viable for us as a private company in this form. Since the last contact a year ago, there have been no further discussions with [Formula 1].”
F1 calendar: focus shifts to Asia, South America, and Africa
Formula 1 is no longer (exclusively) a European affair. On Stefano Domenicali’s desk, there are requests from everywhere: in Asia, there is interest from Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, and India; in Africa, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tanzania have shown interest; in South America, Argentina emerges, riding the wave of the Franco Colapinto phenomenon.
Leave a Reply