German race to alternate between tracks?

As Hockenheim struggles with financial problems, the N?rburgring has offered to share the German Grand Prix to secure the future of both circuits. The N?rburgring currently hosts the European GP but neither it nor Hockenheim gains as much income from the races as they used to. The idea of single German GP shared between the two tracks could help increase the finances.

This way to the N?rburgring.

Photo by xpb.cc.

"Perhaps the race could alternate between the N?rburgring and the Hockenheimring annually," the N?rburgring's manager Walter Kafitz said, according to German newspaper General Anzeiger. "That is an idea of ours. It has already been welcomed by Bernie Ecclestone."

Kafitz' Hockenheim counterpart Georg Seiner told the Mannheim Morgen paper he was considering various ideas. "We are looking into all the options but we will not make any hasty decisions," he said. "We have a contract until 2008."

"It's true that the track is in financial problems," he added. "It used to be possible to make a lot of money from hosting races, but that was in the past. We are not attracting the same amount of fans as we were in 2002 when we had 350,000 spectators for a grand prix at the N?rburgring."

Germany and Italy are the only countries that currently host two Grands Prix. Ecclestone is allegedly keen to drop one race from each country and has long advocated bringing new countries onto the calendar. China and Bahrain were introduced in 2004 then Turkey this season, and more are expected in the future.