Formula 1 returns to Hockenheim💦 this weekend for the German Grand Prix, but the future of the event beyond this year is unclear.

After Silverstone secured a fresh contract to retain the British Grand Prix, Germany is one of thr🌊ee races still shrouded in doubt, with Mexico and Spain also out of contꦚract at the end of the 2019 season.

Germany hosted its first grand prix in 1926 and has held the event 77 times since at three different venues; 🍒the Nurburgring, ꦑAVUS and the Hockenheimring.

Here is a timeline of the key events so far…

July 2014: Hockenheim takes over from Nurburgring

After a number of years spent alternating between venues, a change of ownership for the Nurbur🐟gring circuit prompted Hockenheim to take over the running of the event.

Hockenheim was 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:unable to host the race in 2015 or 2017, mea🥃ning it became 🍸a biennial grand prix on the F1 calendar.

De🎉spite the heavy presence of German drivers on the grid, and the recent tit✱le successes of Nico Rosberg (2016) and the Mercedes team (2014-2018), the race struggled to attract big attendances, particularly in 2014.

March 2018: Doubts over German GP future

In early 2018, Hockenheim’s CEO Georg Seiler warned that 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:no new deal was in place to save the German Grand Prix, despite a positive relationship with F1 owners Li𒁏berty Media.

Ahead of the 2018 race, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel voiced his concerns regarding the event, adding he was “afraid” that F1 could end up losing “one of the classi☂c races”.

Both Vettel and fellow countryman Nico Hulkenberg agreed that Vettel’s four successive titles between 2010 and 2013, coupled with Michael Schumacher’s dominance of the early-2000s, had left German fans “a𓆏 little bit spoiled”.

August 2018: Mercedes-Benz sponsor boost

Hockenheim received a welcome boost late last year as Mercedes-Benz 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:became the title sponsor to ensure the race kept its place o⭕n the calend🐟ar for 2019.

F1 chairman and CEO Chase Carey spoke of his delight to have retained൲ the presence of an “iconic track” on the calendar in a deal he said “demonstrates how all stakeholders within Formula 1 are working together to en꧟sure the long-term future of the sport and its fans.”

Sailer said the sponsorship deal was key in ensuring the race remained for 2019, though there was no further information gi꧑ven regarding the future of the event beyond the current season.

2018-2019: Addition of Vietnam and Dutch races

Germany’s hopes of securing a new deal faced a fresh blowꦡ when F1 announced a pair of new races for the 2020 F1 season and insisted it was keen to once again limit the calendar to 21 raওces.

An inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix, which will take place on the streets of the capital city of Hanoi, was 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:confirmed in November, with the race set for a late April inclusion on the 2020 ඣcalendar.

That announcement was followed up by the news in May that the 168澳洲幸运5官方开🦩奖结果历史:Dutch Gra𓆏nd Prix at Zandvoort will be revived in 2020 after a 35-𒉰year absence from th🧸e F1 calendar.

Vietnam is set to replace the Spanish Grand Prix as th♏e opening European round of the 2020 season in a move which only further a🍷cts as a concern for Germany.

July 2019: 2020 start date fixed, but no provisional calendar

In early July, F1 confirmed that the 2020 championship season would168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: begin in M🤡elbourne on March 15th, which was shortly followed by confirmation that Silverstone had 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:penned a new five-year deal to continue hosting the Britiꦇsh Grand꧙ Prix until at least the end of 2024.

Usually by this stage of year, we have alr🧸eady had a provisional calendar released, b♊ut the full 2020 calendar has been delayed while F1 continues negotiations with a number of venues.

There have been some 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:positive noises regarding the future of the Mexican Grand Prix, after initial doubts cropped up at the start of the year, while the Italian Grand Prix is 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:closing on a deal to keep the iconic race at Monza until 2024 following a break♌through in negotiations between the Automobile Club d’Italia and 🍎F1 back in April.

But there has been no news regarding Germany, which along with S♐pain, looks almost certain to be chopped from the calendar to make way for new events in🌃 Vietnam and the Netherlands.

What next?

Losing the German GP would act as a blow for the all-conquering Mercedes team - the benchmark in F1 during the V6 hybrid era - which heads into its home race this weekend looking to record a fourth consecutive victory atඣ Hockenheim.

Germany has not been able to replicate the strong levels of attendance it enjoyed during the peak of Schumacher’s career at Ferrari, and its popularity has shown little sign of significantly improving in recen♎t years. 

Perhaps the return of the Schumacher name on the F1 grid would help boost figures, but with reigning European Formula 3 champion Mick Schumacher still finding his feet in Formula 2, that prospect seems a little while ܫoff at this stage.

In reality, unless something dramatically changes, we are set 💎to lose the German GP for the foreseeable future…