F1: Hockenheim in talks to return, but funding is the hurdle
The newsroomUpdated on October 22, 20264 minHockenheimring confirms talks with F1 about a calendar return, but there is no deal, almost no public money and the paddock would need to grow.
Key point
On 21 October 2026 the Hockenheimring confirmed negotiations with F1: no deal has been reached and public funding is virtually zero.
The Hockenheimring is talking to Formula 1 about a return to the calendar, the German circuit confirmed on 21 October 2026. Its two managing directors, Joern Teske and Jochen Nerpel, describe negotiations as ongoing, but no deal has been reached. The last German Grand Prix at Hockenheim was in 2019.
What the circuit confirms
- Talks are under way and Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One Group, is involved.
- Teske stresses that no agreement has been reached and calls a return largely theoretical for now.
- According to Motorsport-Total.com, the circuit has not received a concrete request from F1.
- Domenicali has indicated that preparing the circuit for F1 would cost more than the renovation already planned.
A paddock that would need to grow
The circuit has just under 60,000 fixed seats, expandable to nearly 100,000 with temporary grandstands. The main job is the pit area: a larger building is needed for the 11 teams on the current grid. The teams need around 5,000 m², compared with around 4,000 m² available today.
Nerpel estimates that such a build would take six to nine months, citing the pit building constructed in Hungary. The Motorworld complex has just opened: Teske sees it as important, but not essential for staging a Grand Prix.
The obstacle: money
No German public funding is expected: Nerpel puts the chance of government support at virtually zero. Emodrom Group took a 74.99% stake in the circuit's operating company in 2024, with an investment plan of €250 million across the site.
A replacement race?
Geopolitical tensions and the war in Iran make some races on the calendar uncertain, and Hockenheim has been named as a possible stand-in. Teske does not favour a one-off race without a lasting outlook; he does not rule it out if it paved the way for a multi-year contract. He stresses that this is his personal view, not endorsed internally.
A long history, a crowded calendar
Hockenheim hosted the first German Grand Prix in 1970, featured regularly from 1977 to 2006, then alternated with the Nürburgring until 2018. The calendar now has 24 Grands Prix. Rwanda, which signed a ten-year deal this month for a race from the early 2030s, serves as a point of comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Will Hockenheim return to the F1 calendar?
Not at this stage: talks are under way, but the circuit says no deal has been reached and the plan remains largely theoretical.
What work would be needed to host F1?
A larger pit building for the 11 teams, and temporary grandstands to go from just under 60,000 to nearly 100,000 seats.
Who would fund the return?
The circuit does not count on any German public funding. Emodrom Group, which holds 74.99%, has a €250 million investment plan for the site.
Sources
- Motorsport-Total.com — What the Hockenheimring would need to do for an F1 comeback
- GPFans — Hockenheim confirms negotiations with F1
- Motorsport.com — Hockenheim wants F1 back but faces a major obstacle
Written by the Karrazmotorsport newsroom, proofread before publication. For settings, always refer to your vehicle's manual. Our charter.
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