The anticipated race-share agreement between German circuits Hockenheim and the Nurburgring has finally been confirmed, with the Eifel region getting next year's round of the Formula One world championship.

The two venues will alternate on the calendar for the next four seasons, with Nurburgring taking next year's July slot before handing the race back to Hockenheim for 2008. The pattern will then be repeated to the end of the decade, following protracted negotiations between representatives of both circuits and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Hockenheim's place on the calendar had been cast into doubt following revelations that it was struggling to contain financial losses, but the FIA helped prompt the two to consider sharing the grand prix by decreeing that Germany would only have one round from 2007.

"We are happy that we were able to obtain an agreement with partner over alternating the grand prix," Hockenheim mayor and circuit chairman Dieter Gummer told Die Welt, "For us, the economics took precedence in all conversations, but it was also important to remain as an F1 circuit.

Hockenheim will now concentrate on preparing to host the German GP in 2008, while also continuing in its quest to find a naming rights sponsor for the circuit itself, as it attempts to overturn a E29 million deficit - a situation not expected to be helped by Michael Schumacher's decision to call time on his F1 career.