Mercedes offered to help Hockenheim host F1 race

"The German GP is a core race on the Formula One calendar and we have a significant interest in this race taking place," the German carmaker said in a statement.





"Mercedes-Benz has participated in discussions and offered a significant contribution to support a successful German GP, at the Hockenheimring, in 2015. This offer was unfortunately not accepted."

Media reports indicated Mercedes had been willing to cover half of any potential losses and to pay for a significant amount of promotion.

Formula One's governing body, the International Automobile Federation, issued a revised calendar on Friday with Germany absent for the first time since 1960.

The Nuerburgring had been due to host the July 19 race under an alternation agreement but a change of ownership and financial difficulties left Hockenheim as the only option.

However, with low attendances at that circuit last year, organisers were unwilling to risk a further loss with so little time to sell tickets and get ready. It still has a contract to host the race in 2016.

Mercedes said the calendar was a matter for the FIA, commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and individual promoters.

"In principle, we do not believe it is the job of the competing teams to provide financial support for individual events and we do not believe this is a sustainable model for the future," it said.





(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world