Nurburgring for next year and Hockenheim for 08 The German Grand Prix will alternate between the tracks at Nurburgring and Hockenheim over the next four years, Hockenheim chiefs confirmed Wednesday. The Nurburgring will host next year's German Grand Prix and the 2009 edition while Hockenheim have secured the rights for 2008 and 2010. Since 1995 there have been two Formula One races in Germany but one was dropped from the calendar as spectator revenue fell. Not enough fans were turning up for the two races and with Germany's seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher in retirement next season attendances were expected to drop further. Hockenheim, with debts of 29 million euros, was the favourite to be axed - after recording a reported three million euro loss at this year's Grand Prix - but the deal to alternate tracks has given them an extended foothold in motor sport. Source AFP ******** This is great news... now the sam model has to be applied to more countries. The idea should be to have 2 or 3 F1 GP ready tracks in each country and to alternate the event! Now do the same to Hungaroring, Silverstone and Interlagos!
The decline in the number of spectators to watch F1 in Germany started to decline even before MS announced his retirement, so I don't think it was a factor. It may be so in future. The problem is that now, Germany has 2 boring tracks to host GPs! The new Nurburgring never had the attraction of the old track, which I know couldn't been kept on the GP calendar for security reasons. Only touring cars can now sample its magic. Regarding Hockenheim, it's now a shadow of itself. The 'old' Hockenheim was so special, that the new track looks like a go-kart circuit compared to it. In their quest for ever-increasing safety, GP organisers emasculate original tracks, to the extend they are too much alike now, they are featureless. Silverstone is another which looks now like a slot-car circuit. Please, keep Spa the way it is!
