F1 to return to Germany in 2016 says Mercedes chief Wolff

Sport360 staff 06:31 16/07/2015
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  • Mercedes chief Toto Wolff.

    The German Grand Prix will return to the Formula One calendar next season, according to Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff.

    The race has already been added to the 2016 provisional schedule which was released by the FIA last week. But uncertainty still surrounds the grand prix after this year’s race, which was originally penned in for July 19, was pulled amid financial difficulties in March.

    It marks the first time in 55 years that a Formula One race has not been staged in Germany. But Wolff, quoted in The Independent, insists the race will return next term.

    “We will be in Germany next year – the race is 100 per cent going to happen,” Wolff said. “The budget is there, it is a fact. Bernie Ecclestone, Mercedes and the organisers in Hockenheim tried to help fund it but we couldn’t come up with the budget.

    “There is an impact on Mercedes from losing the German Grand Prix but, as much as it is a shame that we can’t show and display our cars in front of our fans and Daimler colleagues, we will be there next year.”

    The German Grand Prix has been shared by Hockenheim and the Nurburgring since 2007, but the latter was put up for sale in 2013.

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    Only 52,000 fans turned up to watch last year’s race at Hockenheim despite Nico Rosberg, who competes under the German flag, leading the world championship at the time of the race.

    “There is a little bit of a hangover in Germany about F1, sports in general and national heroes,” Wolff added. “We had Michael Schumacher five times in a row, we had Sebastian Vettel four times in a row, the German football team winning the World Cup.

    “I think they have had it all and where do you go from there? Maybe not going there for a year and coming back next year could be a good thing.”

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