Hockenheim is Out!

[teabagyokel]

At a stakeholders meeting on Tuesday, it was decided that the city of Hockenheim will no longer host the German Grand Prix.

"We will not be the promoters anymore," City Mayor Dieter Gummer, ruing annual multi-million euro losses, is quoted as saying in the German press.

However, he was also quoted as leaving the door open to investors or a new promoter, and earlier this week it was rumoured that Hockenheim is open to the idea of FOTA's breakaway series.

Gummer said discussions with Bernie Ecclestone are taking place, and that the F1 Chief Executive has put into writing his desire for a solution to be found.

With Hockenheim alternating Germany's annual race with the Nurburgring, it is now possible that the country will not appear on the 2010 F1 calendar.

Copied directly from F1 Live.

I wonder if this is true, if it still applies now the FOTA series is dead and whether this will be good news for the Nurburgring?

Thoughts?

 

[Brogan]

Hasn't there been some sort of issue with one of the circuits (Hockenheimring or Nürburgring) holding legal rights to the "German GP" name?

It's no surprise that this is yet another traditional circuit that can't compete with the "new money" circuits.
I read somewhere that the deficit for hosting a German GP is around €5 million and the local councils/governments are no longer willing to prop them up, especially in this climate.

As long as the Nürburgring remains then I won't be too disappointed but if we lose yet another traditional destination off the F1 calendar then how long will it be before the series is renamed F1 Middle East?