The German Grand Prix could find a permanent home next year following news that the Nurburgring is close to agreeing a deal which will see it host the event until at least 2020.
At present the Nurburgring and Hockenheim rotate on the calendar with the latter believing it has a contract for 2016 and 2018.
“We have a contract, and it has no exit clause,” chief Georg Seiler told the Mannheimer Morgen newspaper.
“The fact is that we will have a Grand Prix at Hockenheim in 2016 and 2018. Everything else is speculation,” he added.
His comments came after the Capricorn Group – which has agreed a takeover of the troubled Nurburgring – released a statement which said it had agreed a “long-term strategic partnership beyond the next five years,” and confirmed its plans to host the race annually.
Bernie Ecclestone, speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, denied that Hockenheim’s contract has no ‘exit clause’ and insisted that ‘special conditions’ such as a better deal with the Nurburgring could void the contract.
He added: “The same applies to Hockenheim as well. It’s only fair. We could reach a new contract with them, on the same conditions that we have with other people [Capricorn].”
