F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed that talks have already taken place regarding bringing Hockenheim back to the Formula 1 calendar.
Hockenheim took its place on the F1 calendar in the 1970’s after the series moved away from the danger of the Nurburgring. It held its place for half a century and became an iconic part of the sport.
With a slew of talented world champions from Germany, the circuit saw dedicated fans supporting their drivers through the decades.
However, 2007 saw Hockenheim join a rotation of tracks between Nurburgring and Hockenheim, with the track alternating from year to year.
From there, the tracks lost further government investment and in 2019 Hockenheim left the F1 calendar altogether.
Domenicali spoke to the media about how there has been an increase in European interest, which could bring about the chance for Hockenheim’s return, and the F1 CEO admitted that those talks have already taken place.
A potential return
While discussing TV rights in France and Germany, Domenicali spoke about the potential of a return in the future. France, much like Germany, historically held a place on the calendar but currently lacks a Grand Prix.
“Canal+ [France] is really looking forward to extending our deal because the numbers are really good and the sport is really in great shape,” he said.
“Germany, for the first time, we are reconnecting with the possibility of having contact with the Hockenheim people to see if, in the future, mid-term, not short-term, they can have a race back.
“But now, with the deal we are having with RTL, the numbers are getting different, and in the new tender on the German market, we will have for the first time more than one operator that is interested in being part of this tender.
“So it’s another sign that, in Europe, that is our very important market. The attention is getting even bigger.
“We extended the deal with Sky UK and Sky Italy until 2034, so that means that the solidity… and in Spain, with DAZN, stay tuned very, very soon. So everything is looking very, very strong.”
German media were the ones to press Domenicali regarding the potential of a Hockenheim return. He said: “So far, it was Hockenheim to connect with us, and they have had the first discussion.
“As you know, they are developing the motorsport part there, with a different objective.
“If they want to discuss a possible F1 event, of course, the investment needs to be different because our platform is to have a different kind of investment. But we have a discussion with them.”
More investment
Domenicali noted that the FOM has historically leaned towards tracks that have government backing, rather than those with private investors or authorities.
Hockenheim has changed its ownership and investment from the last time it was on the F1 calendar. A private investor group is putting in €250 million by 2034.
In 2024, the Emodom Group GmbH took over 74.99 per cent of the shares of Hockenheimring GmbH. The city itself retained, with the Badischer Motorsport-Club, moved to take 25.01 per cent of the shares.
Although the increase in investment has its benefits in attracting F1 back to the track, its backing is majority private shareholders.
Hockenheim’s managing director, Jorn Teske, was behind the push for more private investment. Teske said that a change in the financial model was necessary for a potential German Grand Prix to return.
“We have already been told that there is a great deal of interest in Germany [from F1] as a location,” Teske said.
“I also don’t believe that this is just lip service. Of course, key economic figures also play a role for Formula 1.
“However, it is not entirely clear to me to what extent they are prepared to reduce the maximum achievable entry fees. You often hear the question of why it doesn’t work in Germany.
“Our answer is always the same: In other countries, there is cross-financing from third parties. That hasn’t been the case here so far. If nothing changes or Formula 1 isn’t prepared to make major compromises, it can’t work.”
There isn’t much space in the calendar for additional races. If Hockenheim were to return, it would likely go on rotation with another European circuit, much like Barcelona and Belgium begin from 2027.
However, more fans are looking for the iconic circuits of F1 to return to the calendar. Hockenheim is one of the tracks that frequently features at the top of that list.
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