Ralf Schumacher sceptical over German GP comeback

Ralf Schumacher has poured cold water on suggestions that Formula 1 could soon return to Germany.

The sport has already locked in a 24-race schedule for 2026, including six sprints. Canada, Zandvoort and Singapore will all host a sprint race for the first time, but Germany remains absent from every list.

Even so, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has hinted that either Hockenheim or the Nurburgring could reappear on the calendar in the future, especially with Audi preparing its entry and Mercedes firmly established in the paddock.

But Schumacher told T-Online that the foundations of German motorsport are eroding. "In Germany, we currently have around 700 racing licenses for karting, and the number is declining," he said. "In England, for example, there are 4000.

There, and especially in Italy, karting exists, but here in Germany, it is increasingly being phased out. There are hardly any decent kart tracks left, and there are also fewer and fewer racing series. "It's quite simple, if I take away football pitches, there will be fewer and fewer football players, and that's exactly the problem we currently have in racing."

Mercedes and ADAC have recently announced a scheme to back a German talent all the way to Formula 1. Still, Schumacher argues that carmakers must also work together if a home race is to return. "Collaborations are extremely important," he said. "If Mercedes and Audi ever decide together to support the project, something could happen. I'd like to see that happen."

Yet the 50-year-old doubts the government will step in to provide the necessary funding. "As long as the state does not contribute financial resources, which it will recoup through the tourism generated around the race, it will not work," he explained.

"Entry fees are now so high that the organiser has to provide an extensive security package with police and fire departments, Hockenheim won't be able to generate that much revenue. You don't have to have studied mathematics to realise it won't work, but I still have hope."