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Minister: No long-term F1 future for Nuerburgring

Jul 27, 2011, 13:25 GMT

Trier, Germany - Formula One autoracing has no future on the German Nuerburgring course, a regional minister told the German Press Agency on Wednesday.

'It is not our long-term aim to keep Formula One. We want other formats, want to embark on a future-orientated path,' said Eveline Lemke, economics minister and deputy prime minister of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where the Nuerburgring is located.

The Greens Party member Lemke told dpa that F1 racing is 'not a concept for the future, and definitely not a solution for the Nuerburgring.'

The latest Nuerburgring Grand Prix last weekend is expected to have run up a deficit of 13.5 million euros (19.5 million dollars). Lemke said that future state funding will be reduced considerably.

German organizers have had trouble financing an F1 race and the German GP now alternates between Nuerburgring and Hockenheimring. The 2012 edition is at Hockenheim and a possible next Nuerburgring race 2013.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone recently told dpa he would be ready to make financial concessions. He said that he can imagine a calendar without a German race but added 'its the last thing we want.'

A German driver, Sebastian Vettel, is the reigning world champion, and the nation also boasts record seven-times winner Michael Schumacher. Six of the current 24 drivers are German.

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