The future of motorsport in Germany: "Interest comes with success"

With only one active German driver in Formula 1, has the German public lost its long love and passion for motorsport? And if that is the case, can the four German drivers currently racing in Formula E try to revive the love and passion for motorsport in Germany? GPBlog asked Andre Lotterer, René Rast and Pascal Wehrlein to get their opinions on the subject.

A lost passion for motorsport?

Germany is a country with a rich history in motorsport, producing legendary drivers like Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. However, in recent years, the country's passion for the sport has waned and there is a lack of German drivers competing at the highest level. Has the public really lost interest and passion for motorsport? "It’s hard to say. We don’t have too many German Formula 1 drivers at the moment and DTM has changed a lot over the past few years, so there probably is a slight change in interest. I hope it comes back," said René Rast, McLaren FE driver.

Pascal Wehrlein and Andre Lotterer, however, have different ideas. The Andretti driver believes that the public will always be interested in the sport: "I think the interest from the fans is the same. Of course, Formula One is no longer on TV now. But I don't know how much of a problem that is for the German fans. In general and worldwide, motorsport is more of a choice. Above all. Formula One has a lot of success at the moment and that's in motorsport as a whole," Lotterer said in an interview with GPBlog.

So what can tip the balance for or against the sport? "The interest of the general public comes, as with many sports, with success. So if German teams or drivers are racing at the front, the attention increases," is the Porsche driver's opinion.

Can Formula E rekindle the passion for motorsport?

It's normal that people are more inclined to follow a sport in which their country is strongly represented. And that was the case for Germany in Formula 1 years ago. Andre Lotterer thinks back to those times: "That you had so many people and also in the years in Formula One there was very, very much enthusiasm. And then Vettel And now there's not really much new blood. At least there is still one manufacturer. But there were times when there were several manufacturers. And now?"

With more active drivers in Formula E, could its success be the key to reviving motorsport? The racing series is also very different from all other motorsport series and René Rast believes its unique characteristics could help FE gain more popularity: "Formula E is unique because most of the racing - practice, qualifying and the race - is done on one day and we race on some tracks that have never been raced on before. Formula E has a lot of characteristics which produce great racing and if people recognise that and see how good Formula E is and understand it, we will see more spectators and fans. We need more coverage in Germany, and then it will come."

Formula E is tight and exciting thanks to temporary tracks, attack mode and budget constraints, and also promotes the global acceptance of electric vehicles through the use of innovative technologies. If the series itself is already so interesting, what could be missing?

"Successful drivers, if possible from your own country, always help with popularity. I will continue to try to win as many races as possible and win the world championship title. If this helps the popularity of Formula E, all the better," Porsche FE driver Pascal Wehrlein promises GPBlog.

The future of German motorsport and Formula E

Given the enthusiasm for Formula E, it should only be a matter of time before the sport becomes the focus of new fans. Can Formula E ever surpass Formula 1 in popularity? René Rast is not so sure."It’s difficult to say. We don’t know what motorsport will even look like in 50 years’ time. There will come a time where more series may look to switch to electric, but it’s difficult to predict the future."

Pascal has the same idea, although he sees things in a more positive light: "Formula E, as a still very young racing series, is on a good path and growing steadily. The comparisons with Formula 1, which has been established for decades, show that great leaps are being made here. To what extent electric motor racing will overtake traditional racing with combustion engines is something no one can probably say. I think both can coexist and show the different expressions of motorsport."

This column was orginally published on the German edition of GPblog, written by Paola Bonini