Germany no longer has the drive to host a Formula 1 race, according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Germany no longer has the drive to host a Formula 1 race, according to Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
Speaking to Stuttgarter Zeitung, Wolff contrasted Germany’s situation with the enthusiasm seen in neighbouring Austria, where the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg enjoys strong support.
“In Austria, politicians of all stripes support the race because they recognise the added value,” the Austrian-born Wolff said. “We are high-tech, we are innovation, and we have the support of countless people.”
By contrast, German venues Hockenheim and the Nurburgring have stopped hosting F1 due to the high financial risks involved.
“I think Germany is still suffering from the hangover from the Schumacher years,” Wolff observed, referencing the immense popularity of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, which failed to be sustained by later German stars like Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel. “But it’s a strange German phenomenon, and no one can really explain it.”
The result is a stark absence of Germany—a nation with a rich Formula 1, motor racing and automotive heritage—from the modern F1 calendar.
Wolff pointed out that making a grand prix viable requires significant upfront backing. “To get the right return on investment, you first need someone to invest,” he noted. “I ask myself—are the political and economic conditions in Germany such that you want to invest in a grand prix?”
