Organisers of the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim have imposed a deadline of March 31 2009 to decide whether Formula One will ever return to the circuit in the country's south-west.

"The financial package has to be in place by then or else there won't be any more Formula One at the Hockenheimring," Karl- Josef Schmidt, CEO of the company that runs the venue, told the German news agency DPA.

Schmidt has already said the track can no longer afford to sustain losses incurred by the Grand Prix, even within the current arrangement to alternate the race with the Nurburgring.


Hockenheim hosted the German Grand Prix in July, and is not scheduled to return to the calendar until mid 2010.

Schmidt said federal government support is required. Stakeholders met in Stuttgart to discuss the situation on Thursday.

Source: GMM
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