The German GP was never the same after Michael Schumacher retired in 2006. The race that attracted over 100,000 spectators dropped to sub-50,000 attendance levels after the 7-time champ bid adieu to F1. The organizers couldn’t break even on their investment and the race which was once a cornerstone of the F1 calendar, lost its spot. 4 years since its last iteration, the one-off Eifel GP at the Nurburgring, Michael’s son Mick Schumacher, has spoken out.
The German GP was a double staple on the F1 calendar from the mid-1990s to 2006. The pinnacle of motorsport raced at both iconic circuits, Hockenheim and Nurburgring. However, after the Red Baron’s 2006 retirement, the two locations alternated their spots on the F1 calendar. Even Germany’s second mega success, Sebastian Vettel, who won four consecutive championships for Red Bull, couldn’t revive the lost fanfare. Other Germans, including 2016 champ Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg, and finally, Mick Schumacher, who made his debut in 2021, fared worse.
However, come 2026, things will start looking up for the Central European country with Audi’s entry. They bring a higher performance promise than Sauber and the sustainability push with the new regulations will also serve as an image enhancer for F1. Speaking about the German GP’s potential return to F1, Mick Schumacher told Divebomb, “I think that they’re trying to come back to Germany. Obviously, it’s a bit difficult at the moment with everything that’s going on,” he added, referring to the ROI concerns of the organizers.
