What happened to the beloved German Grand Prix – and could it return?

Could F1 make a triumphant return to Germany in the near future? 

Formula One Management CEO Stefano Domenicali says that the sport is ready to talk with promoters in the country to negotiate a potential return.

Formula 1 eyes return to Germany

The German Grand Prix has been a mainstay of professional motorsport for over almost a century, with the first major event taking place in 1926.

However, rapidly changing political tides and name changes means that only 75 events have been contested under the German GP moniker during that time.

The event gained a fearsome reputation largely thanks to its longtime association with the Nurburgring.

The lengthy, twisting circuit ribboning through the Eifel Mountains was notorious for its difficulty and danger, taking lives and wreaking havoc on the F1 scene.

However, the AVUS circuit as well as Hockenheim have both played host to Formula 1, with varying levels of success.

But with the exception of 2020’s hastily scheduled Eifel Grand Prix, Germany has been without an F1 race since 2019.

More from Formula 1 German Grand Prix history:

👉 Juan Manuel Fangio’s ‘drive of his life’ at the 1957 German Grand Prix

👉 The ‘travesty’ of a Grand Prix track hated by Formula 1 drivers and featured in the F1 75 launch

However, according to a Sport Bild conversation with Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali, a return to Germany wouldn’t be out of the question.

Domenicali admitted that, thanks to F1’s current worldwide popularity, he receives more offers from countries desperate to host a grand prix than F1 can accommodate in its 24-race maximum.

“We are spoilt for choice and can choose who we want to work with,” he said, though he admitted that Germany has yet to come calling.

“The main thing is that we know who we need to talk to. We are open to discussion,” he said, noting that earning money from the race via major sanctioning fees would be “secondary for the time being” to reviving a beloved event.

He continued, “If anyone is seriously interested, they will find a way to contact me.

“But time is running out. There is a long waiting list of companies and even countries with their prime ministers and kings who are desperate to host a race.”

Portugal, Thailand, South Korea, South Africa, Rwanda, Indonesia and Argentina have all been rumored to be seeking F1 races, albeit with varying degrees of sincerity.

What happened to the Formula 1 German Grand Prix?

With Mercedes competing in Formula 1 and Audi set to join in 2026, it seems peculiar that Germany lacks a Formula 1 event, but there are multiple reasons as to why that has been the case.

First and foremost, fans stopped turning up in droves the way they did when Michael Schumacher was racing.

Sebastian Vettel was able to gin up some inspiration, but there have been few other drivers to really bring the German crowds out in force.

Further, the circuits available — Nurburgring and Hockenheim — retain plenty of the rustic charm that made earned them a place on the F1 calendars of yore.

Unfortunately, that means they don’t have the glitz and glamour of sleek modern circuits in America, Asia or the Middle East.

Without fans turning up to events in droves, these circuits are unable to finance those costly facility upgrades and the German government isn’t offering subsidies the way that other nations have done for their local circuits.

Why?

Well, speaking on the Formula For Success podcast in 2024, former racer Timo Glock reasoned: “It’s just a political situation at the moment in Germany that the manufacturers don’t want to be part of the motorsport anymore because the carbon footprint is a big part of it, and it’s the political situation that the government doesn’t support any F1 races anymore.”

Automakers aren’t overly interested in supplying German circuits with funds, and Germany itself doesn’t provide the millions of dollars that a country like Saudi Arabia can.

As a result, the circuits struggle to find the funds to keep their facilities up to date.

And that’s not even taking into consideration the multi-million dollar sanctioning fees that F1 can garner from the other circuits on the calendar.

Will Formula 1 actually see a German GP return?

The emergence of greater electrification as part of F1 2026’s upcoming regulations may ultimately give Germany cause to reconsider its lack of institutional support for hosting a grand prix, as could the participation of German automakers like Audi and Mercedes — but it’s admittedly unlikely.

Earlier this year, a Nurburgring representative claimed that hosting a grand prix is “not feasible” at the moment, citing financial concerns.

“Since the last discussion, more than a year ago, no further talks have taken place with the organiser of the series,” a spokesperson told Sky Germany.

Hockenheim, too, ruled itself out of contention in the near future, telling German publication Welt: “We have been working quietly in the background for over four years on the further development of the Hockenheimring as a leading race track and would now like to realise forward-looking projects.

“Of course, we are also thinking about Formula 1, but we are approaching such considerations with great caution.

“We will not embark on any financial adventures, but we are also trying to find models for how we can bring Formula 1 back to Germany.”

At this time, those are the only German circuits that meet FIA Grade 1 criteria, which means that they are the only tracks meeting F1’s standards of medical facilities, barriers, track lengths, accommodations, and so much more.

F1 may be waiting for a call from Germany, but that call does not seem likely to arrive.

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