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[bud]

No sense in throwing money at a GP that just loses you millions.

Are there 16+ countries (excluding Monanco) that have the cash for a GP?

So far Spain seems to be willing to pump money into their races. Germany doesn't seem too interested in helping out Hockenheim or the Nürburgring. The future of the British Grand Prix is highly uncertain. There is no French Grand Prix and plans to reinstate it are not on the horizon. In fact, the only Grand Prix in Europe that is absolutely safe is Monaco!

The only way that Germany will start pumping money in to their circuits is if the German drivers start being more successful. Basically, they need Heidfeld to be scoring wins next year and him and Vettel at the minimum to be fighting for the championship by 2010, otherwise the German public won't be as interested in races as they were when Schumacher was racing. I say Heidfeld and Vettel because Quick Nick is in arguably the best position of all the Germans at the moment, and Vettel has been pegged as the 'next Schumacher' by Germany.

Yeah, I agree. Having a good driver is important. Some countries just like Formula One (such as Canada and Britain), but others need a little prodding. Interest in Formula One in Spain was non-existent until Alonso started winning races. Germany is much the same. Pre-Schumacher, the size of the crowds attending the races was indifferent. With Schumacher doing well, the grandstands were packed and Ecclestone moved the European Grand Prix there. Post-Schumacher, they've unsurprisingly dropped like a stone.

Italy has also been w/o a top driver in ages and yet, like Britain or Canada has maintained a huge fan base (due to Ferrari).

Italy though seems to be the only nation that follows a F1 team over local F1 drivers.

In MotoGP they follow Rossi over Ducati though

[darwin dali]

Seems that way, doesn't it?
Maybe they resigned to the fact that they can't produce an Italian top driver and so they are Ferrari fans. Can you imagine the madness IF they indeed had an Italian star driver and s/he was driving for Ferrari?

[KyrosV]

Seems that way, doesn't it?
Maybe they resigned to the fact that they can't produce an Italian top driver and so they are Ferrari fans. Can you imagine the madness IF they indeed had an Italian star driver and s/he was driving for Ferrari?

do Ferrari have a young driver development program? Surely if they look at what Renault have produced (Alonso, Kovi, Piquet, di grassi, grosjean) and what Mclaren are Devloping (Hamilton, Paffett, Di Resta) Surely they wont miss a trick there? I remember a few years back Ferrari stated they would love to have an Italian driver in the team.

[McLaren Fan]

Seems that way, doesn't it?
Maybe they resigned to the fact that they can't produce an Italian top driver and so they are Ferrari fans. Can you imagine the madness IF they indeed had an Italian star driver and s/he was driving for Ferrari?

do Ferrari have a young driver development program? Surely if they look at what Renault have produced (Alonso, Kovi, Piquet, di grassi, grosjean) and what Mclaren are Devloping (Hamilton, Paffett, Di Resta) Surely they wont miss a trick there? I remember a few years back Ferrari stated they would love to have an Italian driver in the team.

In light of success of McLaren and Renault's programme, they have just decided to start their own. A few weeks ago they were testing a few people from one of the junior formulae at Fiorano.

[la-ultima-curva]

Seems that way, doesn't it?
Maybe they resigned to the fact that they can't produce an Italian top driver and so they are Ferrari fans. Can you imagine the madness IF they indeed had an Italian star driver and s/he was driving for Ferrari?

do Ferrari have a young driver development program? Surely if they look at what Renault have produced (Alonso, Kovi, Piquet, di grassi, grosjean) and what Mclaren are Devloping (Hamilton, Paffett, Di Resta) Surely they wont miss a trick there? I remember a few years back Ferrari stated they would love to have an Italian driver in the team.

In light of success of McLaren and Renault's programme, they have just decided to start their own. A few weeks ago they were testing a few people from one of the junior formulae at Fiorano.

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2008/11/27/ferrari-tests-three-italian-racers-pictures/
its about time really

[scousers on tour 2008]

i thought it was a great race this year and affordable.... some of the tracks like barcelona may not be as exciting but there affordable to the normal fan
next season were going to spain germany and italy as these are in our price range, as was canada this year but the prices to go to bahrain, abu dhabi ,singapore etc are far to much one trip will cost more then the other 3 put together.
it wont be a suprise if donnington is not finished for 2010 and then that will be no british gp, so before long it will just be a sport you watch on the telly now and then as the tracks will all be to far away and to expensive and people will start to lose interest

[prozac26]

BRING BACK OLD HOCKENHEIM!!!!!!!

[EwanM]

lol James Allen has been blowing over the Ferrari kids in his blog.

[McLaren Fan]

From F1 Live:

Mercedes-Benz and BMW have ruled out stepping in to safeguard the future of the embattled German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

The race's organisers, next scheduled to host the country's single Formula One Grand Prix in 2010, are set to announce on Wednesday whether a solution to the growing losses from the event has been found.

The local government, as well as Bernie Ecclestone, have ruled out coming to the rescue, and now the two German carmakers involved with Formula One have joined the Hockenheim snub.

"We are the competitors of Formula One, not the organisers," BMW Sauber team boss Mario Theissen is quoted as saying by the German news agency SID.

Mercedes' Norbert Haug gave a near-identical answer, and another car manufacturer - Volkswagen - has also ruled out financial support for the venue located in the German state Baden-Wurttemberg.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

Hmm. It's not looking too good.

[iPod]

That is a real shame. Even with the track as it is, i would still miss it. If Hockenheim does go, then presumably Nürburgring would get it permanently, yes?

[darwin dali]

That is a real shame. Even with the track as it is, i would still miss it. If Hockenheim does go, then presumably Nürburgring would get it permanently, yes?

Not sure they would want it on a yearly basis though...
Possible solution: alternate Nürburgring with other venues such as Rome, possibly Spa, etc.

[McLaren Fan]

That is a real shame. Even with the track as it is, i would still miss it. If Hockenheim does go, then presumably Nürburgring would get it permanently, yes?

Nürburgring can't afford to host a Grand Prix as well, which is why Hockenheim and they agreed to run it biannually. Even that is costing them too much, so they could probably only afford to host a Grand Prix every three or four years. In terms of Hockenheim, it's sad to see a track struggling, but it's not the circuit it once was. I'd rather see the Nürburgring host the German Grand Prix all of the time (obviously if it were possible).

[EwanM]

That is a real shame. Even with the track as it is, i would still miss it. If Hockenheim does go, then presumably Nürburgring would get it permanently, yes?

Nürburgring can't afford to host a Grand Prix as well, which is why Hockenheim and they agreed to run it biannually. Even that is costing them too much, so they could probably only afford to host a Grand Prix every three or four years. In terms of Hockenheim, it's sad to see a track struggling, but it's not the circuit it once was. I'd rather see the Nürburgring host the German Grand Prix all of the time (obviously if it were possible).

The idea of Germany alternating on the calendar with say Rome is a terrilble idea. There MUST be a German Grand Prix on the Calendar. Just as there MUST be one in Britain, France, Japan, Australia, South America and at least one in North America each season.

[McLaren Fan]

From F1 Live:

The future of Hockenheim's Formula One race could become clear after a meeting on Wednesday.

It is reported that representatives of the financially embattled circuit and state Prime Minister Gunther Oettinger is scheduled to take place.

Oettinger, meanwhile, is seeking a meeting with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, the SID news agency also claims.

Hockenheim has said that, without a solution, Hockenheim will not return to the calendar in 2010 due to annual million-euro losses.

Circuit boss Karl Josef Schmidt said Wednesday's meeting is "crucial" to the outcome.

He said he is not in an overly optimistic mood, but: "If a Prime Minister sits down to talk, then it is not just for fun.
Click here to find out more!"

And Schmidt added: "Ecclestone knows that the Prime Minister wants to speak with him."

A precise deadline for a solution has not been set, but Schmidt said that Hockenheim needs approximately a full year to prepare for a 2010 race.

© CAPSIS International
Source: GMM

[Gilles 27]

This is only a biggie if it results in the German GP falling from its annual slot. Hockenheim is no longer worth preserving now it has been Tilked