Haas F1 Team’s Günther Steiner discussed the possibility of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship expanding to new and returning locations, and the chance of bringing Grands Prix to the home countries of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.
Steiner said that with Formula 1 being as popular and influential as it is now, he would expect that they could feasibly race just about anywhere and have a sell-out crowd. However, he feels that a return to Hülkenberg’s home country of Germany would be an “appropriate” option.
“With the popularity of Formula 1 right now, I think we could race everywhere and sell out the venue. Obviously, there are contracts in place and FOM is managing this, but I think a race in Germany would be appropriate in my opinion.”
A Grand Prix has not been hosted in Germany since the one-off Eifel Grand Prix in 2020, which was held at the Nürburgring. The Hockenheimring was a mainstay on the Formula 1 calendar up until the COVID-19 pandemic, but has not been a part of the schedule since 2019.
Considering Germany’s long history in motorsport and the influence of German drivers on the championship, the return of the German Grand Prix has been awaited by many fans. Steiner feels that a return to Germany would be a strong move to both restimulate interest in the country and allow German fans to enjoy a home race once again.
“It’s a big ‘car’ country, there’s a German driver and there’s a lot of history within Formula 1. At the moment, it’s the only market that is a bit in decline, everywhere else is growing, so of course a race would help, and it would give millions of fans in Germany a chance to see a race in their home country.”
Steiner said that a race in Denmark was once a consideration, and an addition that he feels “would’ve been fantastic.” He added that there have, however, been obstacles that have prevented the plan from coming to fruition— though he remains enthusiastic about the idea for the future.
“Denmark’s also got a lot of history in Formula 1, now having Kevin here is what they want and there was a plan to have a race in Copenhagen which would’ve been fantastic. It’s a fantastic city and I think they would’ve been ready, but I think the politicians couldn’t agree, so therefore it was decided not to have it for now but hopefully, that idea comes back.”
