Is Germany facing a major slump after Nico Hülkenberg? Timo Glock explains why there are currently hardly any young drivers making it close to the top tier
It’s no secret that Formula 1 isn’t exactly booming in Germany right now. While Audi will join Mercedes as a second German manufacturer in the premier class for the 2026 season, Nico Hülkenberg has been the only German driver on the starting grid for years.
And since Hülkenberg will turn 39 in August, it’s high time for a new German driver to join the premier class. But there’s currently no one in sight. “In my view, the situation remains dire,” says expert Timo Glock on the Starting Grid podcast, discussing the state of young talent in Germany.
The former Toyota factory driver recalls: “We used to have two Grand Prix races in Germany; at one point, we had seven Formula 1 drivers [at the same time]. That shows where we used to be, and when you take stock of where we are now, it’s just sad to watch.”
Although Oliver Goethe, a driver with a German license, will be competing in the 2026 Formula 2 season, However, the 21-year-old is currently ranked only 14th in the championship and has no realistic prospects of securing a seat in the top tier. In Formula 3, there won’t be a single German driver in 2026.
“Ultimately, the support system no longer exists in Germany. It all costs an unbelievable amount of money. No one can afford it anymore,” explains Glock, emphasizing: “This cost explosion is, of course, also a huge issue in motorsports in general.”
“It’s become unbelievably expensive, and that’s just how it is in junior racing too,” says the expert, who explains that for some talented drivers, even karting had already become too expensive, which is why they opted instead for the BMW 318 Ti Cup, for example, “because it was significantly cheaper.”
It’s sad “that German talents don’t have the opportunity to receive support,” says Glock. That’s “the crux of the matter—it’s what has kind of broken our backs in recent years—that, unfortunately, nothing is happening anymore in Germany when it comes to developing young talent.”
Does Germany Need a Grand Prix Again?
The current situation shows “that there isn’t really a plan in place at the moment and the manufacturers have all pulled back, which is of course a shame,” says the expert. Furthermore, Germany also lacks its own Formula 1 race to serve as a “draw.”
The last time the premier class raced in Germany was during the 2020 COVID-19 season at the Nürburgring. The last race at Hockenheim took place an entire year earlier. This frustrates Glock, though he isn’t surprised given the circumstances.
“It can’t be that we’re somehow the only country that can’t pull this off,” he says, explaining: “Everyone around us is managing to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix. We can’t manage it, which is, of course, largely due to politics.”
“You can see that at the racetracks, too,” says Glock, explaining that the Nürburgring or the Hockenheimring would first have to upgrade their facilities to become attractive to Formula 1 again. But the funds for that are currently lacking.
“If you can’t invest in a racetrack for three or four years, then you’re simply already a few steps behind,” explains Glock, who sees the Hungaroring, for example, as a role model here. There have been massive investments in the Hungarian racetrack in recent years.
As a “reward,” they received a new Formula 1 contract through the end of 2032. “Of course, it would be nice to see that happen in Germany again,” says Glock, who emphasizes: “The Hockenheimring or the Nürburgring—they’d love to do it.”
“But at the end of the day, it’s a very clear-cut business decision. If I end up losing 15 to 20 million [euros], then I’ve made a bad deal. That doesn’t accomplish much,” he acknowledges. Although Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali recently stated that they would like to have a race in Germany again “in the medium term.”
However, he also made it clear that “investments” would be necessary in Hockenheim to make that possible.
