RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe German Grand Prix has been off the Formula 1 schedule since 2019. Now, for the first time in years, there’s a reason to think it might come back.
During Liberty Media’s Q2 2026 earnings call, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali revealed that Hockenheim had made contact with the championship to discuss the possibility of rejoining the calendar. “It was Hockenheim that connected with us, and they had the first discussion,” Domenicali said. The language used in this was mildly cautious “Germany, for the first time, we are reconnecting with the possibility of having contact with the Hockenheim people to see if, in the future, mid-term, not short-term, they can have a race back” – yet even that pretty guarded comment sees quite a change from even just a year ago.
“It will definitely happen,” he said according to Planet F1 editor Mat Coch.
In the Liberty Media Q2 earnings call, Stefano Domenicali said a German GP return 'definitely will happen'. This follows recent comments about potential interest in the event's return, at a time when F1 is seemingly in the market for a potential season finale. #F1 1/3
— Mat Coch (@matcoch) August 7, 2026 Why This Time Feels Different
The fundamental problem with a German GP return has always been money, and that hasn’t changed. Hockenheim’s managing director Jörn Teske confirmed: “We have already been told that there is a great deal of interest in Germany [from F1] as a location. I also don’t believe that this is just lip service .” But Teske also knows the circuit’s previous financial model couldn’t support a modern race weekend, which is exactly why the arrival of the Emodrom Group – which acquired nearly 75 percent of Hockenheim’s operating company in 2024 – matters now. The new ownership has committed €250 million in investment through 2034, covering a Porsche Experience Centre expansion, a new hotel, and a Motorworld facility, with initial phases targeting completion by 2027.
Domenicali has made no secret of the fact that staging an F1 race demands a fundamentally different financial commitment than other motorsport events. “They are developing the motorsport park there with a different objective. If they want to discuss a possible F1 event, of course the investment needs to be different – because our platform needs to have a different kind of investment. But we have discussed that,” he said via SportBible . The fact that that conversation is happening at all is the news .
The Calendar Is the Tricky Part
Even with goodwill on both sides, getting Hockenheim back on the grid is a logistical puzzle. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has indicated that the sport ‘s schedule is locked in until the end of 2028, meaning Hockenheim could not realistically rejoin the calendar before 2029, per The Race . According to MotorsportWeek , a rotational arrangement – the same format Barcelona and Spa are set to adopt beginning in 2027 – represents the likeliest route back onto the calendar, rather than a permanent yearly place.
Audi entered F1 as a constructor in 2026, and Nico Hülkenberg is on the grid racing for a German manufacturer. A home grand prix for both the team and one of their drivers is exactly the kind of story Liberty Media tends to find commercially compelling. Domenicali has also added that European audiences are growing again.
Hockenheim last held a world championship race in July 2019, won by Max Verstappen . The circuit has been part of F1’s history since 1970 and was the primary home of the German GP for the better part of three decades. Getting it back on the calendar would take time, money, and a slot that doesn’t yet exist. But for the first time in a while, at least they’re talking.
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