2015 German GP - DEAD..............

[FW17]

Germany's F1 circuits, not Bernie Ecclestone, are to blame for the demise of the German grand prix.

That is the view of formula one legend Niki Lauda, after the sport's supremo Ecclestone declared the race essentially "dead" for 2015.

It will end Germany's six-decade run on the annual F1 calendar, and deprive Mercedes - for whom Lauda is the team chairman - of its home race.

"Of course it would be a shame if there is no grand prix in Germany this year," the triple world champion told Tagesspiegel newspaper.

"But in this case you have to say 'If the host is not able to organise a race, then this is not the fault of Bernie Ecclestone'," Lauda added.

This year, the Nurburgring was scheduled to host a mid-July round of the world championship, so if the circuit succumbs to financial troubles, "No one else can be blamed for it".

Lauda continued: "It is up to the organisers to make it a whole weekend event, as Austria, Silverstone, Spa and Melbourne are able to do so well."

Any chance of the race being held at Sachsenring? Wonderful circuit and always a good crowd for the MotoGP

[McMrocks]

Wow, they're really trying hard to kill this sport.

It's true, the Sachsenring has always attracted a big crowd at MotoGP weekends. Someone even said it was the biggest German motorsport event.

[dans79]

The reason why it's so hard, is because Bernie's fees are ludicrous.

[F1Sidecar]

what a total joke. This is all part of the bigger problem. F1 needs proper old tracks. Not these new manufactured tracks. It really is going to end up killing the sport. Those CVC blood suckers will kill it off. They care only for money. Mr E is the cause and the solution all at once. He made the sport what is is today and is now causing it serious problems.

If a few more teams fall by the way side and the bull's pulled the plug that would be the end of all the agreements that are in place. The teams would be free to start up a fresh, new F1. I am starting to think that is actually what the motive is. There is no way this slow death is by accident.

It is not sustainable for CVC to take 50% out and put nothing in. The boring races are not sustainable as the young fans look else where. Sponsors will not put up the money any more. The track side sponsorship is not sustainable, the money should be going to the tracks and the teams not CVC and Mr E.

Its all wrong. At least the proper racing starts soon. The real men racing the real machines. Motorcycle road racing! there is no messing about with our tracks! ha ha

[MadMatt]

Sachsenring is too narrow for F1 cars.

So let me do a quick recap. They ruined the old-Hockenheimring so the spectators could have a better show by seeing the cars more often, what we had instead was boring and dull races on a twin-motorway large track, which eventually will not even be featured on the calendar. This is really really sad.

What are the big names waiting to create that alternative F1 championship? I mean, there are so many negative comments everywhere that surely another "F1" championship with proper engines, good aero, nice tracks would kill the current F1!!

Just for the sake of it:

[bdr529]

Its all wrong. At least the proper racing starts soon. The real men racing the real machines. Motorcycle road racing! there is no messing about with our tracks! ha ha

I total agree with your underlining point Bernie is a greedy pig. and the health of F1 doesn't look that great right now.
but what is it that makes you think that motorcycle road racing is "proper racing" and not formula 1

[Manoah2u]

Sachsenring is too narrow for F1 cars.

So let me do a quick recap. They ruined the old-Hockenheimring so the spectators could have a better show by seeing the cars more often, what we had instead was boring and dull races on a twin-motorway large track, which eventually will not even be featured on the calendar. This is really really sad.

What are the big names waiting to create that alternative F1 championship? I mean, there are so many negative comments everywhere that surely another "F1" championship with proper engines, good aero, nice tracks would kill the current F1!!

Just for the sake of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C17kbPL3jIE

yeah i was always looking forward to Hockenheimring for that amazing straight and chicane. that was golden. removing that immediately murdered the hockenheimring into some castrated boring kart track.

this is what's left of that legendary straight




so sad.

i mean, nature is beatifull, don't get me wrong. but this is just.....murder.

[MadMatt]

Don't post these pictures, they just make things worse. I wonder why they left that legendary track die. So many memories, many people died on that track, and they just removed what was left of these memories as well. Monza is nice but Hockenheim was just something else. Utter long 7th gear, kilometer long passes, slippery stadium, it had everything.

[Shrieker]

I remember seeing somewhere Hockenheim was to hold the the GP this year as well. Whatever happened to that...

[MadMatt]

I remember seeing somewhere Hockenheim was to hold the the GP this year as well. Whatever happened to that...

Not a great loss if you ask me. The modern Nürburgring was dull as well, the only good thing about it was that you could help for a rainy and potentially great race, but the track wasn't really good. I don't really know what to think of all that. I guess it all goes with the state F1 is currently in. I am probably not the best person to ask about modern F1 tho as I stopped watching races live from about 2007 onward. Shame.

Regarding another track to be used, there is none which is "1st FIA grade" in Germany other than Hockenheim and the Nürburgring. Sachsenring, Oschersleben and Norisring are grade 2. I think Oschersleben would be interested tho.

[Gaz.]

The reason why it's so hard, is because Bernie's fees are ludicrous.

£18m per race. There's a hell of a lot of other tracks on the calender paying considerably more. The track is broke because they had a massive loan they couldn't repay.

[SiLo]

Bernie needs to drop his fees. It's ridiculous. Why should the venue pay to host a f**king racing that generates money for the sport? We should award the race to circuits because it's meant to be the pinnacle for motorsport. We could have different tracks each year as long as they are up to standard.

It just pisses me off when we keep losing tracks because they can't pay the fees, or not enough people attend. If people aren't attending, make the tickets cheaper, and advertise it properly! The British Grand Prix gets advertised like crazy, does this happen in other countries?

God, I've worked myself up just by typing this...

[Gaz.]

Bernie needs to drop his fees. It's ridiculous. Why should the venue pay to host a f**king racing that generates money for the sport? We should award the race to circuits because it's meant to be the pinnacle for motorsport. We could have different tracks each year as long as they are up to standard.

It just pisses me off when we keep losing tracks because they can't pay the fees, or not enough people attend. If people aren't attending, make the tickets cheaper, and advertise it properly! The British Grand Prix gets advertised like crazy, does this happen in other countries?

God, I've worked myself up just by typing this...

Unfortunately it is simple supply and demand. I want a Jackson custom shop Soloist guitar, it'll cost £5000 and I'd have to wait 2.5 years. It costs twice as much as a standard off the peg instrument because there are more people wanting to buy one than build slots available. I refuse to pay such a premium but many others can't get there credit cards out quick enough.

It's exactly the same with the tracks. Even when they were in a crisis in 2012, rather than negotiate together and bring Bernie to his knees, they still tried to f*** each other over and Bernie lived for another day and took another $500m or whatever in fees for 2013.

[void]

Who except us wants to watch a boring race? Here we see and discuss every small change on cars. But if you see normal people, they don't care about this, they just wanna see drivers passing each other, to don't know who will win until the finish.
In the late 80's F-1 had different designs, different engines, every one doing their best, to give the best to drivers and public. Now if a team innovates is rewarded with a ban on that innovation. This is why WEC is being the new Pinnacle of Racing, different concepts, different engines, different approaches, freedom of development. Formula 1 needs freedom of development, need pilots saying what they think (I personally hate when they blame strategy), fighting on the track (not punching each other ). If this don't change, F-1 will lost its relevance.

[Sulman]

Sachsenring is too narrow for F1 cars.

So let me do a quick recap. They ruined the old-Hockenheimring so the spectators could have a better show by seeing the cars more often, what we had instead was boring and dull races on a twin-motorway large track, which eventually will not even be featured on the calendar. This is really really sad.

What are the big names waiting to create that alternative F1 championship? I mean, there are so many negative comments everywhere that surely another "F1" championship with proper engines, good aero, nice tracks would kill the current F1!!

Just for the sake of it:

That made me profoundly nostalgic, in the sense of not even realising how different things were a relatively short time ago.

I usually look forward rather than back, but I must say I think F1 is definitely missing that certain something right now.

DRS has a lot to answer for, too.

Funny hearing traction control again, and remembering the Trulli train.

How can F1 have let this happen? It seems extraordinary to me that there is no decent race in one of the most historic places for Grand Prix motor racing.