Formula 1 chiefs have been approached by the bosses of the Hockenheimring circuit about a potential return of the German Grand Prix. Meanwhile, The Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix may also make a swifter return to the schedule than planned amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its potential impact on the 2027 race schedule.
As it stands, there is only set to be one race in Spain next year. The new Madring circuit in Madrid has taken over the official Spanish Grand Prix moniker and the Barcelona circuit remains in F1 only on a bi-annual deal, rotating with Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium to host a race in alternate years.
It is not due to feature on the 2027 calendar as Spa will be filling that slot, though Barcelona may yet get a reprieve if conflict in the Middle East continues. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali confirmed last week that a 2027 calendar will be released after the summer break which will be the “normal plan”, but he added that other “options” are being considered if races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot be held for safety reasons.
Under current plans, Bahrain is set to revert to its status as the venue for the campaign opener, after hosting pre-season testing. Barcelona was the previous regular venue for testing and could step in to take over if travel to the Middle East is not possible early next year.
For logistical reasons, Barcelona could then also host the first race of the year, given teams will already have equipment and personnel at the circuit in the case that it hosts testing. Domenicali also confirmed the desire is to retain a 24-race calendar in 2027 regardless of what happens with those Middle East races, and so replacing the March rounds is the most likely outcome rather than waiting until potentially the first weekend of April to begin the season at the Australian Grand Prix instead.
And the Barcelona circuit may not be the only one making an unexpected comeback. The German Grand Prix may also return to the F1 calendar, though that is unlikely to be within the next few years as, although Domenicali confirmed talks have taken places with bosses of the Hockenheimring, there is much work to be done before an agreement is reached.
The circuit, in south-west Germany, last hosted an F1 race in 2019, with Max Verstappen victorious. The Nurburgring hosted an Eifel Grand Prix during the 2020 season, which saw the calendar completely reimagined because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Hockenheimring chiefs are working to position themselves as the venue to bring F1 back to Germany with a £214million investment plan.
Though Domenicali suggested it will take more than that for Germany to return to the annual schedule. He said: “Germany, for the first time, we are reconnecting with the possibility of having contact with the Hockenheim people to see if, in the future, mid-term, not short-term, they can have a race back.
“So far, it was Hockenheim to connect with us, and they have had the first discussion. If they want to discuss a possible F1 event, of course, the investment needs to be different because our platform is to have a different kind of investment. But we have [had] discussions with them.”