Hockenheim doubt over finances

Eurosport - Sun, 30 Nov 17:43:00 2008

Hockenheim will be unable to stage the German Formula One Grand Prix in future unless it receives financial help from the state, circuit boss Karl-Josef Schmidt said.

FORMULA 1 2008 Hockenheim - 0

"Without grants from the state (of Baden-Wuerttemberg) there will be no more Formula One in Hockenheim," Schmidt told Sunday's edition of daily Der Tagesspiegel.

According to the newspaper, Hockenheim made a loss of 5.3 million euros (£4.8m) on this year's German Grand Prix. The economy ministry of Baden-Wuerttemberg has said the state does not want to take on the losses, the paper said.

Despite the involvement of BMW and Mercedes, the sport's popularity in Germany has declined somewhat since the retirement of seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher in 2006.

Since 2007, the country has hosted one grand prix instead of two, alternating between Hockenheim and the Nuerburgring.

The German Grand Prix is due to return to Hockenheim in 2010 and that race is in doubt, according to Schmidt, who also said that without more favourable terms in the contract with the sport's organisers there would be no more grands prix in Germany.

"Formula One will disappear not just from Hockenheim but from Germany as a whole," he said. "Then it will only be run in Arab countries."

The Middle East will have two grands prix next season, with Bahrain hosting the fourth round of the championship in April and Abu Dhabi making its debut with the finale in November.

Canada, this year the only grand prix in North America, and France have disappeared already from the 2009 calendar for financial reasons.

Formula One teams are also under pressure to make significant cost savings in the current economic crisis with the carmakers who dominate the sport suffering from a worldwide slump in sales, plunging share prices and factory layoffs.

Reuters

Comment 33 - 52 of 52

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. -0

    From salsa747, on Mon 1 Dec 9:38PM

  2. KARACHI is 20 - 30* NORTH of the equator-
    -

    From salsa747, on Mon 1 Dec 9:36PM

  3. hey mario from pooho what does the cliff in cliff.eddy­ stand for?could it be Clifford

    From MGA, on Mon 1 Dec 8:43PM

  4. most history books list INDIA PAKISTAN & ­ AFGHANISTAN
    as the ""INDIAN SUB~­ CONTINENT"" ~~~ i.e. a separate­ entity

    In earlier peaceful days we drove our Merc­ from London ~~IRAN~~AFGHANISTAN ~PAKISTAN ~ INDIA
    we­ received a happy welcome everywhere
    In Afghanistan a­ large roadside notice said ""WELCOME TO ALL­ TRAVELLERS"" ~~ See our photos

    Kabul was­ full of vehicles with UK ~ FRENCH ~ DUTCH ~ GERMAN ~~­ number plates ., !
    all European students on board­ exploring & experiencing real life ~~ we all­ helped each other 1960's

    From simioni44, on Mon 1 Dec 7:20PM

  5. to vinny 41

    KARACHI is NOT in southwest Asia ~~ try­ a World Atlas please
    ~~~ IRAN race would be Isfahan ­ ~~ Teheran is rather more mountainous ..,!

    Turkish­ race more suitable for IZMIR

    WE HAVE VISITED ~~ ALL­ ~ these places ++ dozens of photos

    From simioni44, on Mon 1 Dec 6:22PM

  6. Read my text Bernie: When I turn off F1 it will be for­ good. End of line.

    From TwinkietheKid, on Mon 1 Dec 3:00PM

  7. hey you lot leave stivsf1 alone. HE'S MINE TO­ ABUSE.thinking about it carry on the more the merrier

    From MGA, on Mon 1 Dec 2:54PM

  8. not printable: Mouronroute and yourself are the other­ two, I've so far restrained from an outright insult­ against stivsf1

    From ginger_gitt, on Mon 1 Dec 2:20PM

  9. I can't say I'd be sad to see the circuit go.­ It lost all of it's appeal when the long straights­ through the forest were closed off. It's a shame­ Tilke practiced on this one before coming up with his­ better circuit designs.

    From Graham P, on Mon 1 Dec 1:36PM

  10. Steady the buffs m.e.

    From BigBill, on Mon 1 Dec 1:08PM

  11. At this rate, will there be enough tracks, for next­ year?

    From paul t, on Mon 1 Dec 1:07PM

  12. Don't insult Gollum - I just love him!

    From m.e.jenner, on Mon 1 Dec 11:01AM

  13. Vinny - very good calender except for the Maldives,­ Bernie couldnt manage to drag two islands together to­ make a home straight and service area so its cancelled,­ so add the RED SQUARE instead

    From not printable, on Mon 1 Dec 8:51AM

  14. Ginger gitt who were the other two insults ? You are­ just a big girls blouse full of watered down beer

    From not printable, on Mon 1 Dec 8:49AM

  15. Pity if they lose it but biz is biz. Bernie wants too­ much. The money invested into the facilities and track­ are fabulous, but making a huge loss to host F1 every­ season is not the way to run an enterprise and they are­ right to make it clear.

    From not printable, on Mon 1 Dec 8:47AM

  16. 2011 Formula 1 Calendar

    2011 FORMULA 1 MALAYSIAN­ GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur)
    2011FORMULA 1 CHINESE GRAND­ PRIX (Shanghai)
    2011 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND­ PRIX (Sakhir)
    2011 FORMULA 1 TURKISH GRAND PRIX­ (Istanbul)
    2011 FORMULA 1 IRANIAN GRAND PRIX (Tehran)­
    2011 FORMULA 1 Vietnamese GRAND PRIX (Ho Chi Minh)­
    2011 FORMULA 1 ING MAGYAR NAGYDIJ (Budapest)
    2011­ FORMULA 1 Southwest Asian GRAND PRIX (Karachi)
    2011­ FORMULA 1 FOUR SEASONS MALDIVES GRAND PRIX (Kuda Huraa)­
    2011 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore) ­
    2011 FORMULA 1 FUJI TELEVISION JAPANESE GRAND PRIX­ (Suzuka)
    2011 FORMULA 1 GRANDE PREMIO DO BRASIL (Sao­ Paulo)
    2009 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND­ PRIX (Abu Dhabi)

    From vinnydawg67, on Mon 1 Dec 7:46AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    try fuckw1t with a 1 instead of an i

    From Count Louis Zborowski, on Sun 30 Nov 11:54PM

  18. Good comment Scott.
    Golum- that's it. Brilliant!
    I­ find I can only ignore him for a while and then I­ succumb to temptation and give him a dig.

    From Count Louis Zborowski, on Sun 30 Nov 11:51PM

  19. Scott N: Usually I ignore his pitiful rantings, but­ I'm bored.

    From ginger_gitt, on Sun 30 Nov 11:49PM

  20. Chris T: You are right and I apologise, I only called­ him a halfwit because it wouldn't let me use­ f**kwit at the time.

    From ginger_gitt, on Sun 30 Nov 11:48PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account