According to Hockenheimring boss Jorn Teske, Formula 1 fans will have to wait even longer for the racing series to return to Germany.
“We would like to have a regular race at the Hockenheimring again in the next few years. But there is still a long way to go.”, says Hockenheimring boss Jorn Teske. The race calendar for next year is currently being worked on. Nothing indicates that Germany is there.
The managing director of the race track in Baden-Württemberg emphasizes that a comeback in the land of car manufacturers is not a matter of course. “If the financial frameworks remain as they were in the past and the risk remains as it was in the past, then it doesn’t seem very realistic.”, Teske said. Most recently, a German Grand Prix failed due to lack of funding. The entry fee charged by the racing series in the mid double-digit million range cannot be paid by the track operators of the Hockenheim and Nürburgring alone.
And there are no public grants or decisive support from the economy. In Austria, both Red Bull, as the owner of the course in Spielberg, and the state are helping out. And in Canada or Brazil, sometimes a lot of money flows from the public sector.
“Danger of losing Germany as a Formula 1 country”
“We are, were and will remain in contact with Formula 1 and are always exploring together whether there is a possibility”says Teske, “You can’t financially refinance the admission fees purely through ticket sales.” Therefore, alternative sources of revenue and donors would have to be found. But: “There is a bit of a risk of losing Germany completely as a Formula 1 country.”
Painful view of Austria
And this week, the view of neighboring Austria will certainly be painful for some Formula 1 fans, when tens of thousands of fans will celebrate a PS party in front of a picture book panorama on Sunday (3 p.m. / live ticker at sportschau.de). “Envy doesn’t help us. We’re just not in the situation here in Germany.”says Teske with a view to the Grand Prix in Styria.
In Germany, the land of the big car manufacturers, the prospects for the internal combustion engine and the sport associated with it have been lost. Both by the manufacturers themselves and in business. Factory teams like Mercedes or, from 2026, Audi like to concentrate on sales markets like the USA or the Orient. In zones where the focus is on e-cars and climate discussions, classic racing has a hard time. Also in industry.
Red Bull – aggressive leader
It’s different in Austria. Tax supplier and job creator Red Bull is very popular with politicians – and in the eyes of motorsport fans. Not only there, but worldwide. Because the largest corporation in the Alpine republic has chosen exactly the action area for its gigantic and aggressive marketing machine: Whenever it gets shrill, fast and loud somewhere on earth, the logo of the Austrian global company can be seen. On planes, boats, sports helmets or even on cars.
And the calculation for Red Bull is sure to work out. In the US alone (2023: three races), soda pop sales nearly doubled from $880 million in 2014 to $1.67 billion in 2022 (Source: statistics). It should be worldwide 2022 sales at $9.7 billion (2020: 6.3 billion). The marketing expenses should be USD 1.65 billion in 2019 amounted to 25% of sales. In the end, 741 billion net profit came out.
Problem of German offspring?
Austria had 13 Formula 1 drivers, Germany 46. Currently only Nico Hülkenberg from both countries is doing his laps in the premier class. “Unfortunately, few German drivers follow. That was different when I was a junior.”says Hulkenberg, “It’s getting harder and harder to get into motorsport because more and more money is needed.” A reason for the success of Formula 1 in one country? Hardly likely. From the USA only Logan Sargeant drives in an F1 car, which is clearly inferior to the competition. Not a single representative from the Middle East boom zone is there as a pilot.
Verstappen, Verstappen, Verstappen
With Max Verstappen, the world of fast cars and the beautiful and rich has a new hero. Lewis Hamilton’s star is fading, Verstappen’s radiance shines brighter than anything else. Whether Ferrari makes its first sporting statement of the season in Spielberg or Mercedes and Aston Martin slide a little bit closer to the Honda-powered racing cars from Red Bull.
At 25, the Dutchman Verstappen is already on a par with the world’s most respected legend, Ayrton Senna (Austria’s former Formula 1 star Gerhard Berger: “With Max there is someone for the first time that I put on the same level.”). one who rushes from victory to victory while demanding his own employer. That, revealed Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko, would have been the 100th victory for the team in the formula 1 wanted for the home race in Spielberg. But Verstappen made the hundred perfect in mid-June in Canada.
Source: jo with sid and dpa