The Nürburgring racetrack in Germany that went into insolvency administration last November is now officially up for sale, despite the numerous petitions, protests and campaigns to to save the state owned facility, that is in debt for around € 400 million.
The entire complex is up for including the arena, museum, Norschleife and even the roller coaster and the selling price is around € 125 million Euros ($161 million).
Jens Lieser, the state-appointed liquidator, confirmed that there were intially 50 buyers interested in now they’ve been weeded out to between five and 10.
Lieser assured the public that none of the buyers are “oligarchs or sheiks” who may make the track private, but there is still a big risk that the popular track days could become a thing of the past.
If you think that’s bad news, even Italy’s iconic Imola circuit has come under attack by the newest and most important anti-establishment party, the Five Star Movement (M5S) run by activist, comedian and blogger Beppe Grillo who received 25% of the votes in last month’s general election.
The movement in the region would like to turn the open spaces and the paddock into a parking lot for buses and cars, and they are also against the museum, which they have said “could be interesting, but must be economically viable for city’s coffers” and “not contain some pictures and a couple of bikes,” and that “races with the sound of revving engines are useless and of little interest”.