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The race, hosted by the Hockenheim circuit
which had a deal to host it every alternate year, was already
out of contract after last season's event.
A last minute deal kept it on the 2019 calendar with
Mercedes-Benz, parent company of the dominant Mercedes Formula
One team, stepping in as title-sponsor but there has been no
word on a fresh agreement.
"They are putting a lot of effort in, a lot of passion, and
they're very keen on staying, having the grand prix here," said
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who grew up down the road in
Heppenheim.
"It's a great show, I don't think they make any money, I think
they lost money last year and thanks to Mercedes they were able
to have the grand prix again.
"The problem is Germany is not keen to pay anything," added the
four-times world champion, who got his first taste of Formula
One action watching boyhood idol Michael Schumacher at the
circuit.
"So you need people from outside, investors. The government is
not happy to support," said Vettel, who went from last to second
on Sunday in a race won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Germany used to have two races on the calendar at the height of
Schumacher’s success, which boosted the sport’s popularity to
new levels in the seven-time champion’s homeland, with the
Nuerburgring hosting the European Grand Prix.
Attendance figures have dropped since Schumacher retired,
despite Vettel running away with four straight titles from
2010-13 and Mercedes embarking on a run of unchallenged
dominance since.
Last year 165,000 fans attended over the course of the weekend.
This year the race drew a weekend crowd of 153,000, with 61,000
people on race day.
Germany's problem is that new venues are queuing up for a slot
on the calendar, some willing to pay far bigger hosting fees.
Zandvoort will host a Dutch Grand Prix next year, back for the
first time since 1985 to tap into local hero Verstappen’s
popularity, while a contract has been signed for a street race
in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, whose team celebrated 125 years of
motorsport involvement at the weekend, said the German marque
was not in a position to sponsor the race every year.
"I think (commercial rights holders) Liberty Media has a great
problem in having more demand than supply which is good and also
good for the teams as fundamentally we share a large part of the
prize fund," he said.
"We will encourage them to look at the German Grand Prix but it
is (Formula One chief executive) Chase (Carey's) call to decide
where we go."
(Editing by Alan Baldwin/Christian Radnedge)
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