The current Formula 1 season, which got off to a shaky start, has been dealt another troublesome blow, as the 20-race calendar will now be reduced to 19.
According to Fox Sports, the famed Hockenheim race track was unable to finalize a plan to host this year’s German Gran Prix after the Nurburgring course couldn’t commit to Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.
“The timing for a commitment passed long ago, so a serious organization of the Grand Prix is no longer possible,” according to Hockenheim chief Georg Seiler.
This being the case, Ecclestone has already stated that if neither track can be secured then the German Gran Prix will be dropped from the calendar without another one to replace it. This will mark the first time the country hasn’t hosted a Formula 1 race since 1960.
While dropping a race might not seem like a big deal, F1 races can usually come down to the wire, and the reduction of the season means one more race where precious points can’t be won or lost. Let’s also take into account that Germany has a storied history in F1, producing many drivers, and this now denies Nicos Hulkenberg and Rosberg a chance to take a victory in their home country.
Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, would see a German driver in the seat of a Ferrari F1 car for the first time since 2006, when Michael Schumacher held the honor. He won that year’s German GP that year for the last time, and it would be exciting to see if Vettel could match that victory. We’ll have to wait till next year to see that though, at the very least.
