Despite Formula 1's openness to rotating more European venues in and out of the calendar, a German Grand Prix comeback appears off the table for now.
In 2026, Sauber will officially become Audi's full works Formula 1 team, joining Mercedes as the second German manufacturer on the grid. But that likely won't be enough to revive a home race.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says the country simply isn't prepared.
"The mood in Germany as a business location is apparently not sufficient for a Formula 1 race at the moment," he told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Neither Hockenheim nor the Nürburgring have featured on the calendar in recent years, and according to Wolff, it's not because of F1's unwillingness — but a lack of initiative within Germany.
"Perhaps people are too stuck in the old structures," the Austrian suggested.
He pointed to the British Grand Prix as an example of how an F1 event can thrive without state funding.
"The English manage to do business with Formula 1," Wolff noted.
"Anyone who wants to host a grand prix either has the business side in mind or wants to achieve a global image transfer," he added, implying Germany lacks the current vision or willingness to take that commercial step.
