Formula 1 will ‘never’ return to the European circuit that Oscar Piastri would love to see come back

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The Formula 1 calendar is constantly changing, although Stefano Domenicali is adamant that it won’t be extended beyond 24 Grand Prix weekends.

However, there has been a suggestion that more Sprint Races could be added to the calendar, and plenty of different countries and circuits are fighting to feature every year.

The Portuguese Grand Prix will return in 2027 with Portimao making a comeback, while there have been recent suggestions that F1 could be returning to Turkey next year.

Which circuit would you like to see F1 add to the calendar?

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Countries such as South Africa, Rwanda, Thailand, South Korea and more have also shown an interest in hosting a race going forward.

Other circuits would have to be sacrificed, with Imola no longer appearing this year, Zandvoort dropping off the schedule in 2027, and Spa and Barcelona rotating over the coming years.

But it now looks like another iconic F1 circuit is likely to ‘never’ host a race again, despite witnessing some of Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna’s greatest moments.

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Hockenheim will ‘never’ host another Grand Prix as wait for German F1 race goes on

A report from the Swiss website Blick has shared more details about the future of the F1 calendar.

They suggest that due to the increasing costs of hosting a race weekend, ‘Hockenheim will never host a Grand Prix again’.

There’s also a belief that the upcoming Madrid Grand Prix is ‘unlikely to be finished’ ahead of making its debut on the calendar in September.

The face of F1 is changing, and a doubling of the number of Sprint Races from six to 12 could happen as early as next year, with ‘most promoters’ keen on having an extra competitive element during their race weekends.

However, it would be a shame for Hockenheim never to return to Formula 1, given its historical value.

Oscar Piastri suggested in a Q+A on McLaren’s TikTok that out of all of the retired circuits in Formula 1’s history, he would like to see the Hockenheimring come back.

More pertinently, it raises the question of whether Formula 1 will ever return to Germany, a country which has played such a huge role in the sport’s history.

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Who were the most successful Formula 1 drivers at the Hockenheimring?

Germany first hosted an official Formula 1 race in 1951, when Alberto Ascari completed 20 laps of the full Nurburgring Nordschleife in three hours and 23 minutes in his works Ferrari car.

The race officially moved to the Hockenheimring in 1970 when drivers decided to boycott the Nurburgring over safety concerns.

Jochen Rindt won the first race at the circuit, while Rubens Barrichello infamously completed one of the greatest performances in F1 history in 2000 to win his first Grand Prix from 18th on the grid.

Michael Schumacher won a record four times at the Hockenheimring, with Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet all enjoying three victories at the track.

Reflecting on the circuit’s redesign in 2002, Schumacher said after winning that year in his official post-race press conference: “I like this new circuit, and in my opinion it’s a great success.”

It feels like the Hockenheimring has been off the calendar for a long time, but Max Verstappen’s victory in 2019 represents the final time the track appeared on the schedule.

The shortest career in F1 history took place at the German Grand Prix, when Ernst Loof completed just two metres before breaking down and never racing again.

However, it seems less and less likely at this stage that the country which has produced three world champions will host a race anytime soon.