This is a really delicate situation. While it may sound very exciting for some wealthy investors, the fact that the world-famous Nürburgring complex is now for public sale is a very worrying situation for most motorsport enthusiasts. Right now anybody who has $165 million can purchase the ‘Ring together with the museum, arena, Norschleife, and defunct rollercoaster.
After the government-owned complex went into bankruptcy last summer, some 50 people announced their interest in purchasing it. Since then, however, the number has dropped dramatically and now only 5-10 potential buyers are left. The thing is that after the purchase is made, the property becomes their own and they can do whatever they want to with it. And the first thing they will want to do is cut losses.
Most probably they will do that by forbidding public driving on the track and by stopping fundamental motorsport activities and events. Exciting as these activities may be, they actually bring no profit. One solution that could save the Nürburgring and keep it the way we know and love it, or even make it more awesome, would be for huge automakers to join forces and save it together. We believe they already are worried about the possibility of losing access to the track for testing activities, so why not considering this option as well?