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.
"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.
Comment 13 - 32 of 52
marnio: I have only "insulted" three people on here (including you), have not shown the sexism that you have done, and yes I am superior to you (as are 99% of the oter people who post on here). And if I do ever go to Peru I'll be sure to let you know so you can book a flight out there to meet me.
You all feed the poor, miserable, depraved attention starved little pervert's ego by even referencing his existence. Ignore the pitiful little gollum like creature and perhaps it will crawl back to his/her little hole. Perhaps with a new F1 league we can also have a new blog where true sportspeople and respectors of fine state of the art racing can share ideas and debate issues of relevance. Only a dream
Bernie's desperate.
His wife has left him and she controls nearly all his money. So he's putting the rent up for his F1 show so he can live out his days in the manner he's used to.
It's tough at he top!
thanks Paul T
Yes indeed. The time is ripening where the constructors will have no other choice but to bolt and re-form a new league. Bernie is strangely ignorant of the fact he is killing his own golden goose. Of course, already a billionaire, he has only his throne to lose. The sport willingly put him in charge. The sport now needs to save itself with some backbone and business/marketing brilliance akin to the marvelous technology they innovate.
Ginger-Gitt.
Please don't refer to marnio as a halfwit. - A little more respect for halfwits, please. There are many perfectly respectable halfwits in the world who have jobs and function as normal people or bankers, and don't spend 75% of their waking hours pratting around annoying people for the hell of it.
Thanks.
marnio: Your English suddenly got so much better, someone buy you a dictionary? Or being that you are a halfwit, did you forget you were pretending to be Peruvian?
And why do I need to prove anything, you're the one criticising an entire countries automotive history (and with little real knowledge of it I might add) and I am merely asking you to support your argument by proving to us that as you are "from Peru" you must have a lot of knowledge on the subject, what with Peru being an historical powerhouse in the advancement of the car throughout the twentieth century.
And at least I am both Ginger and a Git, and proud to be both. You are a halfwit pretending to be Peruvian, why can't you be proud of the fact you are a feckless halfwit? Thats who you are, a tedious feckless halfwit, change your name to that and we'd accept you as the fool you are.
Paddington: no-one targets you because you are from Peru, but you are a prat who knows nothing and says nothing about F!, you ignorant sh#t.
All teams leave and leave Bernie with Ferrari series. Ferrari can then have their own race series and always win. -and of course keep their fans happy! And the rest of us won't have to put up with the corruption of the FIAt and the despotism of Bernie.
As for the story, gone is France (the home of the FIA), gone is USA and Canada (North America is a huge market), soon to be gone is Germany by the looks of it (home two engine suppliers and Toyota F1), and Bernie seems desperate to get rid of Britain (the country that is essentially the home of F1 given the amount of teams beased here). And what are us fans left with? Valencia? Singapore? A general feeling that our testes have been severed and shoved up our noses?* Well played Bernie!
* - Not discriminating against female fans, I'm sure the removal of nipples would be just as painful if F1 wants to shove them up your nose as you are without testicles.
Scott N,
Yes it is possible, to set up in competition to the FIA, at the end of the day, business is business, so why do you think nobody has? This is a multibillion pound sport, you only got to look at Bernie Ecclestone's bank account, to see how profitable it is. So I just wonder why, some other entrepreneur, has not set up in competition.
marnio: Give us a contribution that Peru has made to the automotive industry or simply stop pretending to be from Peru you halfwit!
ge rman prix best trac
the drivers and teams are not bound by cantract to race in F1 so they should set up another league a cheaper league so the tracks we all know and love can be raced on again get rid of bernie and mosley the heads of the teams should run it together with a seperate band of stewards ( same stewards for all races ) televisation rights would obviously go to the highest bidder and ticket sales would be governed by the country running the event ...... (minus my cut) bring racing back to the people
marnio is God
Question about Marnios comments.
They seem to be very hateful about generally anything British. Therefore doesn't that count as Racism?
Im talking technically ofcourse and therefore its perfectly okay to report his comments as Abuse.
Hence we all be able to benefit from not having discussion sites such as this , messed up with people who love to type S HI T.
F1 without a German GP would be rediculous. 4 German drivers, 2 German teams & another team based in Germany makes it a must to have a race in Germany. Bernie is a ****** @#$%.
Any chance the constructors can bolt and start a new F1 league/circuit? Anyone know the barriers to overcome to get that done and rid of Bernie? This is ridiculous.
I've attended two GP's at Hockenheim. The first was 2006. Schumachers last race in Germany. There were shockingly plenty of empty seats. There were less empties in 2008 when I returned the second time. The decline has nothing to do with Schumacher, there are plenty of German drivers. It's the ridiculous price of a ticket. 250 euros for an uncovered seat in the inner tribune. Mind you thats just for Sunday, not the weekend. Bernie isn't concerned with tradition or the fans. He just moves from venue to venue, where states, countries, and sponsors will pony up the nauseating amounts of taxpayers money to put forth a spectacle that fewer and fewer can afford to attend.
marnio is GOD
Marino...no one reads your posts anymore, just keep wasting your time.
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