This formula-1-weekend Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and co. travel to the Hockenheimring for the German Grand Prix. 37. Edition of the German race may be the last.
More than a back door, it is not open to the Hockenheimring as the venue of the formula 1 beyond 2019 – at least to some extent. “A back door is there, but at this Moment I see a few opportunities,” says Georg Seiler, who is still the managing Director of the race track in the southwest of Germany. At the end of August, the 66-Year-old adopted in retirement. Then others will negotiate with the US media group “Liberty Media”, the king class of motor sport since the withdrawal of the British Bernie Ecclestone in 2016.
But even formula-1-CEO Chase Carey sounds just then, as the Grand Prix of Germany in Hockenheim in the race calendar 2020. “The talks are difficult,” said Carey in an Interview with “Sport Bild”. As in the current season there should be also next year and 21 races. With Hanoi in Vietnam and Zandvoort in the Netherlands, two new venues are already in place, Hockenheim, alongside Barcelona and Mexico city to the string candidate. And so the Grand Prix could be this weekend at the Hockenheimring, only the last on the tradition course, but also in Germany. A return of formula 1 on the Nürburgring, where she was 2014 for the last time and Sebastian Vettel won the race, is currently not an issue.
Michael Schumacher (here in 2006 when the last of his four Hockenheim victories) moved the masses
High Fee
“Liberty Media” demands, according to reports from the organisers up to $ 50 million, if the formula 1 is a circus make a stop there. This sum alone, with ticket revenue, not funded. This year, Mercedes was still the main sponsor of the sweep of the race possible. In addition, Liberty Media had been contrary “to us with the fee,” said Hockenheim boss Seiler, the defendant to the Sport-Informations-Dienst (sid) about the lack of support: “I still regret the fact that no one in the Region is willing to do something for the formula 1, neither the Public, nor supporters of the economy. We get in a long time, nothing more, even had to forego investments for the maintenance, to plug financial holes. But so it goes.”
Jim Clark died in Hockenheim
In 1932, the route was inaugurated, at that time they still had the shape of a triangle. In 1938, the course received an oval shape, up to the conversion in 2002, the Hockenheimring was regarded as a high-speed line. Then the rate was reduced from 6.7 to 4.7 kilometers, additional curves were installed, the capacity of the grandstands to 120,000 spectators increased.
The first formula 1 Grand Prix in Hockenheim was drawn up in 1971, to 100,000 viewers at the time saw the victory of the Austrian, Jochen Rindt. Sad celebrity attained the Hockenheim ring by a case of death: in 1968, the two-time formula 1 world champion Jim Clark died after the Brit lost in a formula 2 race with his race car on the track and up against a tree, was a police officer.
Vettel is still without a win in Hockenheim
2018 left Vettel in the lead of the race
Last year, 71,000 people who had attended the Grand Prix – a good result, but no comparison to the 1990s, when Michael Schumacher lured with four record-breaking formula 1 winner on the course, up to 120,000 people to Hockenheim. “Only a sporting success brings with it the very great interest”, says Georg Seiler. The last success for a German driver’s back is already five years: 2014 Mercedes-Pilot Nico Rosberg won. The last two races have ended with Victories of world champion Lewis Hamilton, also in the Mercedes. The Ferrari Pilot Sebastian Vettel could never win in Hockenheim.