Nico Hulkenberg believes the popularity of Formula 1 in Germany has been impacted negatively by the automotive industry and its connection with climate change.
Even though F1 has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity around the world thanks to the Netflix Drive to Survive series, it still has not impacted Germany.
Popularity with F1 has stalled in recent years despite the successes of Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, while the nation has not held a race since the Eifel Grand Prix in 2020.
"We've always had a very strong presence in F1, at least in the last 30 years or so," Hulkenberg told media, including RacingNews365.
"Sometimes it's more popular and higher demand and then naturally it probably tails off sometimes.
"In Germany, the perception of the car and automotive industry is that it's responsible for climate change, it's not sustainable, and I think that rubs off into motorsport.
"That's why there's a perception and what politics tells the people is that this is bad and somehow has a negative impact on racing in F1 too."
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Hulkeberg: German GP would not change my career
Talks of a potential return to Germany on the calendar have been proposed, with an idea to rotate a circuit on the calendar with another European venue.
However, Hulkenberg was optimistic about the chances that it could return and the impact it would have on his racing career.
"I wouldn't be against it of course, I like racing in Germany but it wouldn't make a difference for me and I don't expect that to happen," he added.
"I'm not behind the scenes there, maybe some people are trying to pull some strings."
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