Nurburgring says German GP cannot afford Ecclestone fees

A deal to keep the German grand prix on this year’s F1 calendar still has not been struck.

The Nurburgring was scheduled to return in 2015, but the financially-troubled circuit is tied down in an ownership crisis.

Bernie Ecclestone has said the sport could simply revert to Hockenheim, but amid the F1 supremo’s high race fee demands, a deal there is also yet to be struck.

Nurburgring official Carsten Schumacher said the circuit remains open to compromise.

"We have said that, for the sake of the fans and the region, we are prepared even to make an economically acceptable loss," he told the Swiss magazine Motorsport Aktuell.

His comments suggest that, at Ecclestone’s standard contractual rate, the Nurburgring can no longer afford to host formula one races.

"This is also the reason why we have said that we do not want to carry the organiser’s risk," said Schumacher, who earlier indicated that Ecclestone could step in to be the 2015 promoter and also collect the ticket revenues.

"There is no question that, as a formula one organiser, you deserve to make money, but the problem is the entry fee and we need to talk about that," he explained.

"I think it makes little sense to organise events in which you only spend money rather than making any. In the long run, no one can afford that, and that includes any other race track in Germany," said Schumacher.