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The management of Hockenheim, one of Formula 1's most iconic circuits, has approached F1 bosses about the possibility of reviving the German Grand Prix.
The track, which hosted Formula 1 races intermittently from the 1970s until its last event in 2019, came under new investor control in 2024. Significant upgrades to the circuit's facilities are already planned.
The Emodrom Group, which owns 74.99% of Hockenheim's shares, has allocated 250 million euros for expanding its Porsche Experience Centre, as well as for constructing a new hotel and a complex named "Motorsworld."
Part of these plans includes bringing Formula 1 back to the venue, where Max Verstappen won the last race.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed the discussions but emphasized that Hockenheim's management is aware of the high cost for a calendar slot, especially given other countries' willingness to pay substantial hosting fees.
"The people from Hockenheim contacted us, and we had an initial conversation," he stated. "As you know, they are developing their complex for a different purpose. If they want to discuss a potential Formula 1 race, of course, the investment needs to be different because our platform requires a different kind of investment. But we have discussed this."
While Formula 1 has trended away from European races in recent years, Domenicali hinted that the continent could once again become increasingly important due to strong fan interest. This could boost the chances for circuits like Hockenheim.
"Of course, we are seeing growth in the United States," the Italian explained. "We are also seeing growth in Europe, because it is once again becoming an important market – the numbers and the growth are there."
However, Europe faces stiff competition, with Domenicali stating there's a queue of other candidates. Races on the African continent, in Asia, and South America are possible options when slots open up in the future schedule. Regarding specific African nations, Rwanda and South Africa have shown interest. In Asia, Thailand, South Korea, and second races in China and Japan are options. In South America, Argentina seems a logical place for Formula 1's return, given the interest fueled by Franco Colapinto.
Domenicali said that "discussions in Africa are progressing very well," but there appears to be no rush to finalize deals, as the Formula 1 calendar is quite full in the short term. He believes, however, that it's too early for a second race in China.
"We have more inquiries from China and Japan," he said. "But for now, we want to stick with one race in China because we need to consolidate the market more strongly before thinking about another option there."
An interesting aspect of Malaysia's surprising return to the Formula 1 calendar this year is that the race is being held under the name Bahrain Grand Prix. This occurred because Bahrain helped finance the Sepang event, as it couldn't host its own race at Sakhir due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The "Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia" solution is unusual and raised questions about whether similar arrangements could be repeated in the future, but Domenicali clearly stated he is not a proponent of this idea.
"I don't think this can be a long-term approach because we need to be credible and consistent," Domenicali stated. "But I truly hope that the global situation will allow us to return to normal, holding Grands Prix in the correct country where we would like. What we did with Bahrain and Malaysia was fantastic because we really wanted to allow the Bahrain Grand Prix to be part of the calendar."
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