Hockenheimring ‘unlikely to hold F1 race in 2017’

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In the round-up: Formula One is unlikely to return to the Hockenheimring next year.

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After an awful qualifying session, Kvyat thought things got better on Sunday. Sethje disagrees:

Kvyat had the idea his performance was better this race. But looking at the reality, he ended just a coupe of seconds behind his teammate who had a very bad pit stop in the early stages, losing a lot of places (fell back to 19th!) fought his way back and ended 12th, a place before Kvyat. So not such a great performance after all for Kvyat.
Sethje (@Seth-space)

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On this day in F1

If you thought the two Mercedes drivers taking each other off on the first lap in Spain this year was bad, worse befell Jaguar in the Sportscar World Championship round in the same country 30 years ago today. All three of its cars, piloted by ex-F1 duo Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever along with Gianfranco Brancatelli, tangled at the first corner.

The trio continued but two cars retired later on, ending Martin Brundle and Jean-Louis Schlesser’s involvement in proceedings, and leaving just the car piloted by Warwick and fellow F1 driver Jan Lammers to salvage third.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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103 comments on “Hockenheimring ‘unlikely to hold F1 race in 2017’”

  1. I hope that Button goes to Williams next year. It will be nice to end his good career in the team that he started with.

    1. Full circle indeed.

      Whilst it’ll be a fitting swansong for Button, I feel next year”s regulations will swing in McLaren”s favour, given how they possess one of the strongest aero teams on the grid, and he’ll probably lose out on adding to his podium( maybe race win) tally. Especially with Williams already on the decline.

      1. Williams have achieved new level of irrelevancy which has dwarfed Scuderia’s surprising lack of pace.

        1. Indeed. I don’t fancy Williams as the place to go in the next regulations. Their chassis hasn’t been great for a while. They were helped massively by the Mercedes engine in 2014 and 2015. It isn’t helped by having one of the most uninspiring driver line-ups on the grid mind.

          Perez is also linked with Williams. I see Force India as a better bet for the next regulations to be honest. Their cars have just got stronger over the last three seasons which is a promising sign.

      2. Yeah but I don’t think JB will have much of a say in whether to stay at McLaren or not @younger-hamii

      3. The problem is, if he stays at McLaren, then he will block Stoffel Vandoorne off for another year, and I really want to see him in the car next year.

        1. Ditto, as much as I like JB it would be a travesty if Vandoorne doesn’t get in the McLaren for 2017. Would be happy to see JB replace Massa at Williams and see how Bottas performs.

  2. Spotted this earlier if it’s of interest to anyone! Feel free to remove Keith if you please :)

    http://leavemealone.hu/post-1753-Formula_1_2017_Rules_Concept_Design_with_New_Halo_Closed_Cockpit_Concept.html

    1. Not a patch on this McLaren.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f__Rk7l7Q08

      Poetry in motion.

      1. Saw that earlier this year, it’s lovely!

        ..if only

        1. @nemo87 @Gerrit

          Sure, it looks nice. But how does the driver get out when they really need to?

          1. Probably the same way fighter pilots do, the glass shatters with a ‘killswitch’

    2. Makes the halo look cool… by pretty much forgetting to draw anything but a couple wires where it should be.

    3. @nemo87, @Gerrit
      I think if they start this year, they can actually make gradual changes in terms of earo design to streamline the car for a ventilated closed cockpit introduction in 2018 or 19. An air-conditioned closed cockpit will usher in a new era of F1 cars suitable for the 21st century.
      I am all for driver head protection but I am no fan of the Halo.

    4. @nemo87, looking at that concept sketch, the sides of the screen are very close to the driver’s head. I’m pretty sure that one reason why Red Bull’s screen was rejected was because there was not enough clearance at the side of the cockpit so, if the driver’s head was thrown from side to side, it would strike the sides of the screen – that sketch shown there seems to have just the same problem.

    5. Just throw some transparent aluminum on the front of the car, and be done with it.

  3. MB (@muralibhats)
    3rd August 2016, 1:34

    Jenson practicing driving Mercedes engine around

  4. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    3rd August 2016, 2:06

    > “Jenson Button stopped by traffic cop in Monaco”.
    > *Whaaat?*
    > “(Daily Mail)”
    > *False alarm*

  5. It is interesting to see someone who has a cross tatooed on his body and who talks about a higher power nearly copulating in the street like a donkey. Jesus approves huh? Hamilton is an embarrassment to f1. To you father’s who held up your sons at the British GP to catch a glimpse of reach out to try and touch their idol, or ask for his signature to be scrawled across a hat, is this the kind of role model you want for your children? Do you turn a blind eye? “Boys will be boys” Is this the pinnacle of Christian hypocrisy?

    1. What harm is he causing? And I don’t mean what dogmatic principles is he breaching, what actual harm is he causing?

      1. Not befitting of someone representing f1 in 2016

        1. @ibrahim That’s not a counter argument, that’s your opinion based upon your own conservative principles. Hamilton is enjoying himself, I’m assuming everyone pictured is a consenting adult. So again what harm is being done?

    2. Oh come on, @ibrahim, you clearly have fallen for Keith’s bait
      Hamilton was at what appears to be a wild street party that looks like a carnival sort of and his grinding to a dancer is distasteful to you? Come on man. Get off your high horse. I can imagine if you have ever been to a club or an event and danced to a person of the opposite sex. Or do you have anything against going to such events and grinding it out with an opposite sex, @ibrahim?
      So, what is it that you don’t like? Is it that he is dancing? Or that he is dancing to a dark skinned lady? Or is it that everyone in the picture is not fully clothed in that very warm climate that is famous for such street parties which people from all over the world flock to? Maybe, it’s the complexion of the people in that image you find distasteful. You tell us. Because what I see in the picture are people grinding and having fun. And to be honest, when I saw it, I smiled and said; Go for it, Lewis!:)
      By the way, if you have ever been to a club or any carnival and if you manage to even get a dance with any of the girls/boys there, while grinding with any of them, have your pic taken to freeze that moment in time, come on line and post it, let us judge if you are “a donkey” or not. And if you @ibrahim don’t agree with such life style, try to keep “Jesus” and/or Christianity out of it. That would help the conversation here. Thank you.

      1. What bait would that be then? I don’t work for TMZ.

        1. And here comes Keith acting all so innocent..:) Of course you don’t work for TMZ but you now stories about Ham’s lifestyle gets tongues wagging.

      2. Judge not, lest ye be judged.

        1. I’ve got no problem with that because I don’t behave like an animal.

          1. Animal ? you go straight to animal? Grow up. End this thread.

      3. Great role model for your impressionable young British boys and girls. Right on you say, yeah, that may be a problem with your culture and mind set.

    3. ColdFly F1 (@)
      3rd August 2016, 6:12

      Which part of the title made you open the link?
      Hypocrisy indeed, @ibrahim.

      1. Exactly @coldfly.

        I don’t read anything about F1 driver’s private lives because I only care about what they do at the circuit. If you don’t want to be offended, don’t click the link.

        1. @geemac @coldfly I very much agree, although there is the frustration that in some ways, Hamilton (and most the drivers) sort of represents Formula One in a way, as a fact of reality that he is a leading driver. Is this the correct image of F1?

          1. I think it is an image that will get far more people to notice Hamilton (and F1) than just sitting around being happy at home, giving PR-team ironed out statements at press events and being suited up for sponsor events @strontium.

            No, not really my kind of thing either, but as long as he is enjoying himself, where’s the harm in it? I am sure the thousands of people in the streets in Barbados were there for exactly the same reasons, and many more would probably like to have had the opportunity to do the same. Carnaval is also hugely popular in so many places.

      2. I didn’t need to open the link, it was in the news and everywhere last year as well.

    4. Well, the New Testament does not say: “You shall not have fun”.

      Hamilton is just having a good time, that is his way of relaxing and perhaps it makes him a better F1 driver, too. People are different. Rosberg is the family man, Hamilton is the playboy; I think this just spices up their rivalry. Besides, a lot of people, who have perfect social media lives, are actually very different in the real world. As for the kids, I do not believe that Hamilton is a bad role model for them. Kids should see real people, not saints, who ultimately turn out to have the same passions, obsessions and flaws as everyone else.

      1. @girts No but the Old Testament does!

      2. Your idea of what kids should see it pretty astounding.

    5. Good on him I say. Enjoy the off time. I couldn’t care less about religious babble, he might not be everyone’s cup of tea but he’s certainly not a bad guy by any stretch of the imagination (again don’t give me religious babble). Besides expecting every young multi millionaire sporting personality to be a perfect role model is pathetic. You bring up your own kids.

    6. @ibrahim How so hypocrisy? How is the way Hamilton interprets his faith ANYTHING to do with you? I could almost have understood if you criticised him on not behaving in a manner befitting a world champion (although I would have disagreed) but to bring religion into this is just absurd.

      To put it bluntly, get back in your box.

      1. Agreed – I am just a little worried about this guys interpretation of religious freedom. Frankly sounds right out there to me.
        Why not keep it to the track ibrahim and keep politics and religious and other bias out of the discussions from here.

        You will feel much better…

        1. He is the one with a cross on his body and extolling his faith

    7. Surely you didn’t know James Hunt..

      1. 1970’s were just a wee bit of a different time no?

    8. petebaldwin (@)
      3rd August 2016, 11:07

      I certainly wouldn’t want my kid getting a cross tattooed on them but other than that, I think Hamilton is a great role model. He’s come from nothing, has set his sights on a target and has achieved it becoming one of the best in the world.

    9. If you want to see hypocrisy, jump on a plane leaving Jeddah on a Thursday night which is bound for Bahrain, Dubai or Abu Dhabi…

      1. Oh plus a billion… – does it not just crack you up?

        Let alone hosting them all around the west then taking them home! That’s the perfect bit. As they step out the plane toilet. Yet I love the guys I worked with, they were princes etc just suffocated by a tradition and the fact they had a religious artefact in their back yard.

    10. Thank you for reminding us that people who look for something to be offended about usually find it.

      Personally, my first thought was “Dancing in the Street”– either Martha and the Vandellas, or the Mamas and the Papas.

      But if you want to bring religion into the discussion, perhaps you should look up “carnival” in the Catholic tradition– even they recognize that occasionally you just have to blow off some steam. Considering that Lewis Hamilton has been in an incredibly tough championship fight this season, cutting loose and partying is probably the best thing he could do for himself at the moment.

    11. @ibrahim I really don’t think this is the forum for a religious argument, and I wont be drawn into one, but I am a Christian, and with a name like Ibrahim (if that is actually your name), you are the last person who should be preaching about religious hypocrisy, or any sort of hypocrisy for that matter.

      Go figure.

    12. Hmmm — perhaps you would let us know your religious affiliation before commenting on anyone else’s?

      Come on – nearly all drivers have some tattoo or another that could offend the religious elite from either side of the fence.

      Ho hum – Hamilton gets the best of it though.

    13. Judge not, lest ye be judged

    14. @ibrahim It is also interesting to see you paid attention to Hamilton and not the fact he was in Barbados. As far as I can tell it is a free country, where people have the right to freedom of expression. You, as a user of the internet, are taking advantage of the same religious freedom of expression that the people of Barbados enjoy everyday.
      Some countries and religions take great pride in not allowing any sort of religious expression other than what they consider right. I guess you aren’t in one of those countries because they generally don’t like people accessing website’s that encourage freedom of thought and expression, like this one does.

      1. That is a great example of freedom of expression that you democracy boys are always harping on. Gay pride parades, bumping and gridning in the street, this is your example of “freedom of expression”? LOL. Freedom to act like an animal is more like it.

        1. Another good example of the disgusting mind state of a great majority of western people. His actions are a “freedom of expression”? He is a role model for the kids? LOLOL. Be happy when your 15 year old daughter comes home drunk and pregnant. You asked for it.

        2. @ibrahim It is interesting you come to a website, where people come to discuss the highest level of motor sport, and proceed to use the freedom of expression given to you as license to tell us your moral viewpoint. The administrators of this website are quite within their rights to delete your comments because they aren’t related to motor racing.

          1. Exactly drycrust, the irony of which appears to be lost on the OP :).

  6. Regarding the mulling of a second tier championship for independents, I find the idea very interesting and who knows might give more life blood to the midfield. The racing in the midfield is currently quite good as that is where majority of the action have been. You can then imagine what extra jolt that section of the championship will receive when there is an extra glory to campaign for.
    I am however concerned about an aspect of the fallouts that might arise in that such an introduction, as enticing as it may be, could potentially be a double edged sword. As much as it will lead to greater benefits in terms of monetary rewards and sponsorship associated with the notoriety of whoever wins that, but being that the same independent teams would still maintain their larger F1 championship pursuits, imagine the death knell that would place on any of the teams who happens to come dead last in both championships. One last position as the championship is currently run is understandable but to come last twice in a year? That would be a rather very fast demise of such team in both enthusiasm/motivation and financially.

    1. ColdFly F1 (@)
      3rd August 2016, 7:43

      Who needs a second tier championship when we have 7 teams (more than double USA’05) fighting for at least 4 point giving positions (until ’03 it was max 6), being pretty competitive (almost within 1sec in Germany), and showing some great racing (just look beyond the top 3 teams).

      The problem is that most fans just focus on the 3 big teams. I see more discussions here about how evil Rosberg is, what a prima dona Hamilton is, how immature Verstappen is, etc. than about the great racing week after week in the mid-field.
      No need for a second tier champion ship, just for real fans to open their eyes (and FOM to show it on TV).

      1. And commentators to talk about it! Had it not been for the images, I’d barely have known what Force India were doing in the race, for neither Radio 5 nor Channel 4 mentioned them or the teams they were fighting with very much. Had I been a fan of, say, Toro Rosso, the situation would have been even worse…

        1. Exactly @alianora-la-canta, @coldfly one of the biggest problems is that FOM doesn’t seem to have much interest in the tight and feisty midfield were most of the action is happening. I haven’t watched my wifes recording of the race yet, but I bet sitting in the motodrome I had a better idea of what was happening to 7th – 14th in the race than I would have watching on TV, even if the screen was just a bit too far away to read times, and the cars louder than the track speakers (not a complaint – sound was goldilocks zone for me and @bascb :) so you had to wait for a gap to hear more context.

          1. ColdFly F1 (@)
            3rd August 2016, 11:38

            agree 100% @alianora-la-canta, @bosyber.
            My point being that a second tier competition probably won’t resolve that.
            But on a more positive note: both in Hungary and in Germany I saw quite a few minutes of mid-field coverage (I’m in the fortunate position of not having ad breaks). I think this reflects the fact that we have a tighter mid-field and quite some capable drivers in it.

          2. @bosyber “I bet sitting in the motodrome I had a better idea of what was happening to 7th – 14th in the race than I would have watching on TV”

            Absolutely. A lot of the good racing and strategies going on in the midfield is completely lost on those watching the broadcast. I enjoy following Perez’s, JB’s, FA’s, Hulk’s, Grojean’s and most importantly Sainz’s race. You can imagine my disappointment last Sunday to not see much about Sainz’s initial progress to 8th (I think) and the very messy pitstop that demoted him to the back of the field followed by his dogged climb back to finish ahead of his team mate.
            I don’t know how, but FOM must find a way to show fans either equal footage of each team or focus more on the places where things are happening. On board streaming does not cut it.

          3. @bosyber FOM did start showing more of the mid-field towards the end of last year & had planned to continue that trend; However they then got accused of creating a Mercedes/Ferrari black-out & many fans/broadcasters complained we were not seeing the front runners so Bernie told them to go back to the way they covered races up until then & give the front runners most of the focus.

            Something that I inquired about was if there was any appetite to bring back the ‘Track B’ channel that we used to have on the Digital+ service. The Track B channel was a channel dedicated to the mid-field (With Track A showing the front runners & both been mixed along with the other channels to create the Super-signal). Sadly it seems at present there is no consideration been taken to bring that channel back.

      2. – I see more discussions here about how evil Rosberg is, what a prima dona Hamilton is, how immature Verstappen is, etc. than about the great racing week after week in the mid-field.

        Yes the midfield has been delivering serious racing for some time. This year, they upped the ante. The problem though is that FOM don’t show the actions as much as we would like.
        As for the Hamilton, Rosberg, etc conversations, I think it is ok so long as it remains civil.

    2. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      3rd August 2016, 10:11

      I think a better idea would be to have a third manufacturers championship for engine providers, to encourage the PU manufacturers to want to supply as many teams as possible, and to provide their customer teams with up to date technology.

      This would help to solve the works / independent teams dichotomy, by giving a fair way of providing the manufacturer teams with more money in return for the extra resources they put in.

    3. The trouble with having a formal “second tier” is that it would effectively lock in the dominance of the bigger teams and manufacturers. The independents struggle to compete with the big three at the moment, it would be impossible for them to do so adhering to a self imposed cost cap.

      As a few have mentioned, better coverage of the midfield battle in the world feed and in the build up to the race is what is needed. My wife has watched quite a bit of the Channel 4 broadcast of the last 4 races with my wife and after the last race she said “Do they only care about Mercedes and Verstappen” and based on what they actually put out and talk about, you would have to say that they do. F1F’s know how great the midfield battle is, it is a bit sad that FOM/the broadcasters don’t…

      1. @fullcoursecaution, @geemac, I think having a second tier series (maybe named Formula Independent One) within F1 itself might destabilise F1. They should however introduce a cost cap of 100M as suggested by FI, have those who are willing sign up for it and at the end of the year, award some kind of Best Of The Rest or Best Of The Hundreds award with some financial compensation to whoever is outstanding.
        That way, it isn’t a full fledged contest that affects their main F1 championship drive.

  7. Thoughts on that Mirror article:

    1. It’s a 4 litre engine, not a 6.2 now
    2. He wasn’t speeding
    3. Why was he driving a merc? Surely he should be driving Hondas now?

    1. @mattb Or, you know, McLarens… (though the new NSX is a killer too)

      1. I saw the first new NSX at Goodwood for the first time in the flesh as it were, was seriously underwhelmed :( Though obviously I haven’t actually driven one maybe it is better to driver than to show off in.

        “Why was he driving a merc?”

        I remember a lot of people going on about how disrespectful Hamilton was to Mercedes when he had to audacity to drive a Ferrari. Where did they now? lol

        1. ColdFly F1 (@)
          3rd August 2016, 16:08

          Didn’t young Verstappen just buy a 911 GT3 RS!

          PS Good choice!

          1. There’s Porsche and there’s bad choices. @coldfly

    2. Actually JB is driving the last gen C63 the ‘6.3 AMG’ with the double horizontal lines on the front wing is a giveaway :). Good choice of car for pootling around Monaco.

  8. Jenson is a curious performer. He was there about with Lewiz, is there about with Alonso. Yet none of us rate him that high.

    In my book he is certainly better and more proven than Bottas or Massa. And Williams could do with a driver upgrade.

    Maybe really Button and Perez.

    We shall see.

    1. There or there abouts is where Rosberg is right now. Look at the stats between Hamilton and Button and you will see that every argument i see the person who argues Button is better always relies on the stat that Button scored more points over 3 years. That is true but it doesn’t paint the whole story. Here are the stats:

      Qualifying
      Faster qualifying time: Hamilton 44 / Button 14
      Poles: Hamilton 9 / Button 1
      Front rows: Hamilton: 23 / Button 9

      Races
      Wins: Hamilton 10 / Button 8
      Podiums: Hamilton 22 / Button 25
      Points finishes: Hamilton 45 / Button 47
      DNFs: Hamilton 13 / Button 8
      Best race result (inc DNFs): Hamilton 32 / Button 26
      Ahead in two-car finish: Hamilton 24 / Button 13

      Championship
      Overall points: Hamilton 657 / Button 672
      Seasons finished higher in standings: Hamilton 2 / Button 1
      Highest championship placing: Hamilton 4th (2010, 2012) / Button 2nd (2011).

      You can see Hamilton has better stats on more things, you can even argue they are close. That is where the difference between winners and losers are, the fractions of better performance here and there will win in the longterm.

  9. Williams is slowly falling into the clutches of the lower midfield. By the end of this year Force India most likely will have surpassed them and is again the best Mercedes customer team. Button knows that and he also knows there isn’t a thing he can do about that that Massa couldn’t also. Button has but to choose between two options, retire with his head held high, or continue to mock about at McLaren and by doing so blocking Vandoorne coming in. Williams is no sane option but Button is in a stage where he isn’t that wanted for the paycheck he asks yet he’s desperate to stay in F1.

    If anything I’d like Alonso to join Webber at Porsche, and Button and Vandoorne at McLaren, everyone happy.

    1. @xtwl What about a Porche WEC car running Webber, Alonso and Button. Very unlikely I know, but wow that would be “interesting” (in a good way)!

    2. Considering the Perez to Williams rumours, and the fact that Perez brings around $30 Million to the team, will Force India really be able to top Williams?
      And an Alonso, Webber, Button Porsche car in Le Mans would be every Motorsport fan’s wet dream

      1. @major-dev Webber won’t have too many chances at winning Le Mans and I’m dying to see him win two out of three of the triple crown. Worst part is he came close on all three past occasions.

        1. Everyone is hoping either for Montoya to join at least one year at Le Mans with Porsche or Webber to get a chance at the Indy 500. Best of all would be a car swap between the two for the marquee events, but most probably they wouldn’t give theirs up.

  10. Williams’ decision to hire Jenson will ultimately depend on how much money their sponsors, namely Martini, would stump up at the prospect of a World Champion being associated with their brand.

    He is a highly marketable driver. In an I’d world, for sure, Williams will snap him up without much hesitation. However in this day and age, where Williams is a mid tier team, monetary factors will have significant bearing on who they hire. It is reported that Sergio Perez has 30 million in backing, so it would really come to cost vs risk vs overall gain, be it fiscal or publicity.

    If Martini is willing to contribute more towards Jensons salary, then it would be a no Brainer. The experience and ability he will bring couple with high commercial appeal will be perfect for team like Williams. It will also be a great benchmark to compare Bottas against as Jenson will consistently get the most out of the car.

    1. @jaymenon10 Would Williams really hire a driver in whose country alcohol sponsoring is illegal?

  11. I hope Claire is also spending time and money bringing designers from other teams, FI is doing a better job on a slightly smaller budget. In Hungary, Williams was basically running a Melbourne-spec FW38.

  12. It is with great sadness that we farewell Chris Amon from our mortal coil. A life led to the max by a most humble man. RIP.

    1. I just read that. How sad, a class act, though hugely unlucky as has been well documented. Easily good enough for a WDC let alone a win which he never got in F1. RIP

  13. If Hockenheim is not able to host GP every year, and Nurburgring can’t do it every second year, why can’t they alternate GP with other great tracks, such as Mgny Cours, Imola or even Paul Ricard? That would be really great to see such historical tracks come back to F1.

    1. To begin with they’d need two important things; Funding and an A-license. Neither of them has both.

  14. “Could he have turned earlier? Possibly not.”
    …said a rather delusional Martin Brundle.

    1. Nico Rosberg will have a new turn of phrase invented for him

      “Last of the late turners”

    2. Well I’d be more inclined to listen to the expert opinion of a former world champion like Bundle, rather than the armchair expertise of yourself!

      1. Martin Beundle and @john-h have the same number of world championships.

        1. How do you know how many world championships @john-h has ;)

  15. For me then JB should go to Williams, pretty obvious that STV is in the picture for next season and unless there is something in the background with Alonso the it seems he will be there again, personally I would prefer JB & STV with Alonso off to WEC or something, I just don’t see him as ultimately committed to further developing the project, what then happens after 3 – 4 races when STV comes in and gets on top of Alonso – will he sulk and strop off into retirement ?
    Williams will be stronger next year as hey have the opportunity to refresh the chassis philosophy and maybe change direction as clearly the current ideology is limited ( maybe James Allison could be approached ??).
    It is so difficult to compare properly between FA & JB at McLaren as the cars have not been good or reliable enough but there is no doubt when its all working as it should then JB is matching FA so in my book still good enough for F1 .

  16. I thought the Hockenheim organizers where eyeing a 2018 return, with the 2017 race alternating to the nearby Nurbürgring.

    Having visited Hockenheim last weekend I must say the Motodrom is just amazing for actually being there. I will also go to Spa but I know already that won’t offer as much viewing joy.

    1. The 2018 return is a given @hanswes, they have a contract to host every other year. The question mark is over whether they can afford / will step in to take the race every year. I really do hope more and more fans start coming to the tracks again.

  17. I read a few articles in German media about Hockenheim and F1 in Germany. They are rather pessimistic. The average fan is getting older, the circuit cannot attract enough visitors, the love for F1 in the country has faded and the local government does not care.

    Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that there was a free event involving Sebastian Vettel in the old town of Hockenheim on Thursday. Despite good weather, only around 200 people came to it (there was enough space for many more). “The industry’s hopes are on Mick Schumacher,” says the article.

    To be honest, I do not think that the German Grand Prix can be saved. The business model is not working and there is simply not enough enthusiasm for the sport left in Germany.

    1. Michael Brown (@)
      3rd August 2016, 23:25

      There were some comments last weekend analyzing the state of F1 in the German public. They basically said that the majority of German fans fell in love with Michael Schumacher, and ever since his first retirement the interest has dropped. It went up a bit during his comeback, but now it’s back down.

      Interesting that the media puts its hopes on Mick Schumacher. I suspect it’s the name. Even though Michael Schumacher inspired Vettel, he just isn’t as popular as Michael.

    2. I think there was quite a bit of missed opportunity @girts. Not sure too many people even knew about Vettel doing that event up front. And off course many people only arrived by thursday evening.

      Personally I hope that the Dutch fans will help a bit too, they seemed to come out to Hockenheim in large groups and importantly many families!

  18. I can see a move to Williams might be quite a dilemma for Button. Judged on the performances in recent races McLaren/Honda do seem to be improving at a steady rate whilst Williams are standing still really.

    However, the cold reality is that I don’t think Jenson will get the option of staying with McLaren. I expect them to say Jenson has been great but it’s time to look to the future and give Stoffel a drive. If Jenson really thinks he has a chance of a future there he should ask McLaren to sort this now. If they will not I think he should accept the Williams offer if that’s what it is.

    The change in the rules next year will throw everything up in the air anyway. Who knows but Williams could end up being closer to the front than McLaren. If he wants to stay in F1 I think it’s a risk worth taking.

  19. It’s funny hearing Alonso complain about FOM publishing his negative radio messages. He’s quite clearly intending these messages to embarrass the team. They aren’t off the cuff heat of the moment remarks, they are thought out, purposefully intended digs at the team and making them during the race over the radio is clearly with toxic intentions of embarrassing the rest of his team.

    Could you imagine if after Australia the pit wall had come on the radio and said ‘don’t worry Fernando, we can just rebuild the car for you to smash it into someone at the next race’ or ‘that was a GP2 driver move’?

    The guys an enormous talent but I just wouldn’t want to work with him. Hamilton and Vettel may spit their dummy out from time to time but they typically a hot headed outburst, not calculated sarcastic digs.

    1. Whoops! Meant this for the radio transcript thread. We need a delete/edit post function on this site, I’ve also written they instead of they’re which is just embarrassing for all to see.

  20. Now that is funny.
    I think Brundle discredits himself if he tries to defend Rosberg.
    Had the cars been wheel to wheel, then Rodberg could have got away with it.
    But he was virtually ahead, with the corner surrendered to him. He then chose to wait for the other driver to run him off track.

  21. Michael Brown (@)
    3rd August 2016, 23:20

    Erm, we get this news every year. Turns out that Hockenheim rotates with Nurburgring.

  22. As a Williams fan I’d really like to see them get Button. They really need an A level driver to push the team forwards and I think it’s safe to say he can compete with most of the drivers on the grid. I love Massa and Bottas but I don’t think either of them are on the same level as the top drivers. Button has shown he can hold his own against Hamilton and Alonso and I think they should try to grab him while they can.

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