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Will there be sanctions for the Nürburgring as an effect of the war in Ukraine?
Written by Daniel Andzhurov – March 17, 2022
Reviewed by Asaf Kedem
A majority holding in the Nürburgring is owned by a Russian holding company. What will be the future of the track?
The Nürburgring is almost entirely Russian-owned
Until 2012, the Nürburgring was owned by the German state. Then the track went bankrupt, it was sold, and now 99% of it is owned by a holding company associated with the Russian businessman in the pharmaceutical industry Viktor Kharitonin. The remaining 1% is owned by local motorsport company GetSpeed Performance.
A spokesman for the Nürburgring said that together with Kharitonin Holding, "we are for what brings together people from all over the world - regardless of their origin, skin color, preferences or religion." The Nürburgring is visited and will continue to be visited by Russians and Ukrainians.
The Nürburgring case is currently in the spotlight of politicians. The opposition, represented by the HDZ party, wants to consider the issue with a view to Russian investment.
Nürburgring: Boycott or not?
The question is how the situation with the Russian invasion of Ukraine will affect the Nürburgring economically. Should the Nürburgring be sanctioned in line with EU sanctions against Russia? Or should the track be completely boycotted from the point of view of the fans? The whole area around Eifel is making a living along the Nürburgring, and it is not easy for people there – especially after last year's floods.
Auto Trendy’s take:
We, at Auto Trendy, cannot and will not take side in such a social and economic affair. We would only like to express our anticipation to the motor sports fans and all those driven by passion for cars. Moreover, we do hope that the situation at the track does not change much based on political influence and that people living in the area can make their living from doing what they are inherently best at. We will keep you further posted, stay tuned.
