As Formula 1 continues to expand into markets such as the United States and Thailand, European circuits are struggling to secure a spot on the calendar. The last Dutch GP is scheduled to be held in Zandvoort in 2026, and Spa will have to settle for a rotation schedule. Meanwhile, in Germany, there is lobbying for the return of the German GP, although Toto Wolff doubts the feasibility of this plan.
“The mood for a German GP is clearly not good enough at the moment,” Toto Wolff told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “In Germany, it seems that no one has the confidence that you can generate profit by organizing a Grand Prix. Perhaps people are stuck in old structures or something similar. In any case, it appears that no one is willing to invest.”
‘Look at Silverstone’
Wolff cited the British GP as an example of a successful, independent event – a model that the German GP should be able to emulate. “They (the organizers at Silverstone) make it a business,” said the Austrian. “Anyone who wants to organize a Grand Prix has business interests or hopes for global attention. If the promoters in Germany do not see a business case in this, Formula 1 must accept that.”
Germany was a long-time fixture in Formula 1, but rising costs meant that the country disappeared from the calendar after 2019. However, a race was still held at the Nürburgring during the covid season of 2020.
