German Grand Prix: 'No more hope'

A spokesman for the Nürburgring racetrack has told German news agency SID on Thursday that his organization will not be hosting the German Grand Prix this year.

The race, which was still officially due to take place at the track on July 19, will now not go ahead due to "timing, organizational and financial reasons" according to the Nürburgring representative, Pietro Nuvoloni.

The track had apparently presented a new plan to Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone which had also meant that it would carry small financial losses. But, since no agreement could be reached, the "window of opportunity has now closed."

"We really regret it," Nuvoloni told SID.

Hockenheim also out, apparently

Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, the boss of Germany's other main racetrack, Hockenheimring, told Germany's newspaper "Bild" that he had "no more hope that Formula One will be here."

"The time to stage a race here is over," Georg Seiler had said. "The quality would have suffered."

This would be for the first time since 1960 that Germany did not hold a Grand Prix. In recent years, Hockenheim and the Nürburgring have alternated as hosts of the German GP, but this year neither will host, leaving top German drivers Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel without the chance to race in front of home support in the 2015 season.

This latest news comes after Formula One mogul Bernie Ecclestone told Saturday's edition of British newspaper "The Independent" that the German Grand Prix "is dead at the moment."

"It won't get replaced if it doesn't happen. As with any race, if it is cancelled it is cancelled. There's not much we can do," Ecclestone said.

Van der Garde saga over

Meanwhile ex Sauber driver Giedo van der Garde has confirmed that he has terminated his contract with F1 team Sauber. The Dutch driver was involved in an eleventh-hour legal battle in a Melbourne court last week.

Van der Garde took Sauber to court after claiming they had backtracked on an agreement made last year giving him a seat for the 2015 season. Instead, Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson were made the team's drivers this campaign.

"We have reached a settlement with Sauber and my driver contract with the team has been ended by mutual consent," the driver wrote on his Facebook page, before adding that he was "sad and disappointed."

jh/asz, al (AFP, dpa, SID)