German Formula 1 fans will have to wait a little longer for the return of the racing series to their beloved Nürburgring and Hockenheimring circuits.
"The wish would be that we would have a race again on a regular basis at the Hockenheimring in the next few years," Hockenheimring boss Jorn Teske told dpa. "But there's still a long way to go," he said.
"Realistically, we're certainly not talking about 2024 or 2025, but probably from 2026 onwards."
Next year's race calendar is currently being drawn up, and there is nothing to indicate that Germany will be on it.
The managing director of the Hockenheimring racetrack in Baden-Württemberg, in Germany's southwest, also stressed that a comeback is not a foregone conclusion.
"If the financial framework remains as it has been in the past and the risk remained as it has been in the past, then it doesn't seem very realistic," Teske said.
The most recent attempt to host a German Grand Prix failed because of a lack of funding. The entry fee charged by the racing series in the mid-double-digit millions is not affordable for the track operators of the Hockenheim and Nürburgring alone.
"We are, have been and will remain in contact with Formula 1 and are constantly working together to see whether there is a possibility," said Teske.
"Refinancing the entry fees purely through ticket sales is not financially feasible." That means alternative sources of revenue and sponsors have to be found.
The last time there was a race at the Hockenheimring was in 2019, when Mercedes stepped in as the main sponsor. A year later, the Nürburgring was given a Grand Prix at short notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, Formula 1 has left Germany sitting in pit lane.
The country is not without experience in hosting the world's most cashed up motorsport: Germany has previously staged a total of 79 races - in some cases as many as two per year.
"There's a bit of a danger of losing Germany completely as a Formula One country - and we have to take countermeasures," said Teske.
"You could take the easy way out, and just say it's all in the hands of Formula One. But to me that's rather short-sighted thinking."
He added that Germany needs to once again ensure that young talent is promoted and that races are shown on free-to-air TV.
"We also have to attract more young fans - and a German Grand Prix is an important part of it, to make the whole thing tangible."
