F1 “sees some signs of optimism” over return of iconic race

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says he “sees some signs of optimism” over the prospect of the German Grand Prix returning to the calendar under “the right offer”.

The German Grand Prix has a long history in F1, having first appeared on the calendar in the second year of the championship’s existence in 1951.

The event ran consecutively from 1961 to 2006, taking place at the Nurburgring and the Hockenheimring during this time.

The European Grand Prix was also held in Germany in 1984, 1995-1996, and 1999-2007.

The last German Grand Prix was held in 2019, while the country’s most recent calendar appearance was the Eifel Grand Prix in 2020 at the Nurburgring.

There have been calls ever since for the German Grand Prix to return as F1’s calendar has continued to swell under Liberty Media ownership.

Those hopes have been renewed by Stefano Domenicali, who told Motorsport Magazin: “We are open and prepared for any kind of discussion.

“I see some signs of optimism and I hope this will evolve in the coming months.

“We are interested in returning to Germany, but with the right organiser and the right offer.”

Any return of the German Grand Prix would likely have to take place at Hockenheim, which has undergone infrastructure upgrades recently.

A spokesperson for the Nurburgring admitted last January that F1 was unlikely to return to the venue due to financial restraints.

Domenicali stressed that F1 is in no rush to secure a deal to bring Germany back as it has many requests for races to consider.

“The good thing is that we’re not desperate, because we have many requests from all over the world,” he said.

“If the German market doesn’t see a return to Formula 1 as a priority, we have to accept it and look ahead.”