The embattled Nurburgring's Formula 1 future looks brighter this week after threats of insolvency.
Reports last week said F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone could be the Nurburgring's saviour but when asked at the 2012 Hungarian F1 GP if he was buying the German track, Ecclestone told Der Tagesspiegel newspaper: "No. I don't think it is for sale in that way."
NOT OUT OF WOODS
The latest news from Germany, however, was much more positive. The Rhineland-Palatinate state government has reportedly agreed to guarantee a 254-million euro loan so that the Nurburgring can service its debts, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper reports.
And Nurburgring Automotive GmbH (NAG) chief Jorg Lindner said: "I am very optimistic that F1 will be going to the Nurburgring next year (2013)."
FAZ said negotiations with F1 officials would take place over the summer period.
Ecclestone said: "We don't want to lose any of the racetracks, and we need to keep the race in Germany. We will do our best. It has surprised me that all these tracks in Germany have financial problems - maybe they gave all their money to the Greeks," he joked.
F1 chief executive Ecclestone was also asked about his comments ruling out buying the Nurburgring, to which he responded: "Let's wait and see. At the moment we are having talks."
He also said that if a solution for the Nurburgring could not be found, his sport would "go to Hockenheim" instead in 2013.
"We're also in talks for that," Tagesspiegel quoted Ecclestone as saying.
Reports last week said F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone could be the Nurburgring's saviour but when asked at the 2012 Hungarian F1 GP if he was buying the German track, Ecclestone told Der Tagesspiegel newspaper: "No. I don't think it is for sale in that way."
NOT OUT OF WOODS
The latest news from Germany, however, was much more positive. The Rhineland-Palatinate state government has reportedly agreed to guarantee a 254-million euro loan so that the Nurburgring can service its debts, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper reports.
And Nurburgring Automotive GmbH (NAG) chief Jorg Lindner said: "I am very optimistic that F1 will be going to the Nurburgring next year (2013)."
FAZ said negotiations with F1 officials would take place over the summer period.
Ecclestone said: "We don't want to lose any of the racetracks, and we need to keep the race in Germany. We will do our best. It has surprised me that all these tracks in Germany have financial problems - maybe they gave all their money to the Greeks," he joked.
F1 chief executive Ecclestone was also asked about his comments ruling out buying the Nurburgring, to which he responded: "Let's wait and see. At the moment we are having talks."
He also said that if a solution for the Nurburgring could not be found, his sport would "go to Hockenheim" instead in 2013.
"We're also in talks for that," Tagesspiegel quoted Ecclestone as saying.