2015 race deal not done yet

Nurburgring has decided to let Hockenheim lose their shirt on an F1 race rather than them.

(GMM) Hockenheim's circuit boss has warned that a deal to host the German grand prix this year has not yet been reached.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Thursday that, amid the Nurburgring's ongoing ownership uncertainty, the track will not host the race next year as scheduled.

"It is going to be at Hockenheim (instead)," he told Reuters, "we're in the middle of doing something with them.

"We've got a contract in place, we just have to amend the years of the contract. It was alternating with Nurburgring so we'll just take that out," Ecclestone added.

Hockenheim boss Georg Sieler, however, has warned that while talks with Ecclestone have begun, an agreement is yet to be finalized.

"We can only say something if a contract is signed. And we're not there yet," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

It is clear that Seiler and Ecclestone will be negotiating over the financial terms of a 2015 deal.

Auto Motor und Sport said Hockenheim attracted only 52,000 spectators to the grand prix last year, meaning the circuit is also struggling to make ends meet.

"Naturally we want to record positive numbers," Seiler said. "In exceptional circumstances, one can perhaps even accept a 'black zero' (breaking even).

"At any rate, a timely decision now is desirable and necessary," he insisted.