Germany used to be a non‑negotiable stop on the Formula 1 map. Today, it’s a gap on the 2025 calendar—and Stefano Domenicali says the ball is squarely in Germany’s court if that’s going to change.
“We are spoilt for choice and can choose who we want to work with,” the Formula One Management CEO told Sport Bild, noting that Germany hasn’t picked up the phone. He insists F1 is “open to discussion,” even hinting that sanctioning fees would be “secondary for the time being” if it meant reviving a classic. The warning label followed quickly: time is running out. With prime ministers and kings lobbying to land a slot, there’s a queue—Portugal, Thailand, South Korea, South Africa, Rwanda, Indonesia and Argentina have all been linked with future dates, at least on paper.
It’s a strange paradox. Mercedes is still on the grid, Audi is due in for 2026, and yet the championship hasn’t raced in Germany since 2019—save for the pandemic‑era Eifel GP at the Nürburgring in 2020. This is a country that helped define Grand Prix racing: the fearsome Nordschleife carved into the Eifel, the slipstreaming madness of AVUS, and the forest‑blast of Hockenheim. The heritage isn’t the issue.
Money and politics are. The post‑Schumacher boom faded, Sebastian Vettel gave the crowds a second wind, but attendance never recovered to the point where circuits could bankroll hefty upgrades and modern F1 hosting fees. Unlike venues in the Middle East or parts of Asia, there’s no government subsidy waiting to bridge the gap. As Timo Glock put it on the Formula For Success podcast last year, the domestic political climate—focused on carbon footprint—has dulled institutional appetite for funding top‑tier motorsport.
Both Nürburgring and Hockenheim hold the FIA Grade 1 license F1 requires, but neither sounds ready to jump. The ’Ring has called a Grand Prix “not feasible” right now, citing finances, and says discussions with F1 haven’t progressed in over a year. Hockenheim’s tone is similarly cautious: no “financial adventures,” even as it quietly works on the circuit’s longer‑term future and keeps the door ajar for a viable F1 model.
That leaves Domenicali waiting for a call that may not come. The 2025 calendar, as listed on the championship’s official record, doesn’t include Germany, and there’s intense competition for any slot that opens. Electrification steps in the 2026 rules might soften political resistance, and Audi’s entry could help rally stakeholders—but the reality is brutally simple. F1 is ready to talk. Germany has to decide if it wants to be heard.
Until then, the sport moves on—and the country that once hosted Fangio’s greatest day and Schumacher’s wildest summers remains a spectator.
