Vettel not expecting German race return before F1 exit

Sebastian Vettel

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Vettel not expecting German race return before F1 exit

European venues are struggling to afford F1 races

Ian Parkes

Wednesday 18 May 2022 09:15

Sebastian Vettel does not believe F1 will race in his home country of Germany again before he retires despite hints from F1 bosses it could spring a surprise return to the calendar.

Rumours have been circling of a possible comeback for a race that was last held in Hockenheim in 2019 amid interest from German manufacturers Audi and Porsche in joining F1.

Asked if he believed a home race was back on the cards, Aston Martin driver Vettel said: “It would be great if Germany was back on the calendar, but I doubt it. I don’t know if Germany will make it in time for me.

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“Obviously, I had the privilege to race in Germany for many years. If you look at the places we are going, Germany is not prepared to pay that sort of money to have the grand prix, simple as that.”

European venues cannot afford F1 – Vettel

Miami recently followed in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia as the latest arrival on the F1 calendar, and with Las Vegas joining next year, there is increasing pressure on the European venues.

Vettel added: “Other countries in Europe are struggling. I am not the developer of the sport, but clearly, you can see the new venues are great to explore, but it is also money-driven for the sport to develop the way they want to develop

“It’s a shame losing out on Germany, it would be a shame losing out on Spa, losing out on Spain, which there was a lot of talk about, and if those countries are not ready to pay the high entry fees anymore they will fall off the list.

“That would be a shame. Certainly some races you would think have a guarantee, such as Silverstone, Monza, but I don't know. Let's see what happens in the next years.”