Second Modern Incarnation
In 1990, a wealthy Japanese businessman, Tomonori Tsurumaki, built an extravagant (and remote) race track called Nippon Autopolis with the idea of hosting a Formula One race. In 1992, plans were made to have an Asian Grand Prix in 1993 to replace the Mexican Grand Prix on the schedule. However, these plans failed to materialize. Instead, Bernie Ecclestone added a race at Donington Park to the schedule, which brought back the European Grand Prix moniker. The race was the brainchild of Tom Wheatcroft, who had been trying to bring F1 to the track since an abortive attempt to host the British Grand Prix in 1988. The first (and so far only) race at Donington Park resulted in Ayrton Senna's victory in wet/dry conditions.
The European race would go to Jerez the following season, and then returned to Nürburgring, which was now popular again with drivers. Because of this it hosted the race again in 1996, but after complaints that no other countries were to get the race, the Nürburgring race was renamed the Luxembourg Grand Prix. Jerez got the race back in 1997 as a replacement for the Portuguese Grand Prix. Jerez hosted the season finale that year, and it was the site of the famous collision between Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve which saw Schumacher get disqualified from the championship. It was also the scene of Mika Häkkinen's first Formula One victory.
In 1998, the European Grand Prix was dropped from the schedule, but returned in 1999 when the race at Nürburgring re-adopted the European Grand Prix name.
The 1999 race was notable for the torrential rain conditions which saw many experienced drivers slide off the circuit, presenting Johnny Herbert with the opportunity to take Stewart Grand Prix's first (and only) victory in its final season before being sold to Ford.
The race continued to be held at the Nürburgring until 2007. On August 29, 2006 it was announced that it had been removed from the F1 calendar for the 2007 season. From then there would only be one GP hosted in Germany each year, alternating between Hockenheimring and Nürburgring. However, what the name of this Grand Prix would be was uncertain for a time; while originally intended to be the German Grand Prix from 2007, the Nürburgring race of 2007 was renamed "Großer Preis von Europa" (European Grand Prix) due to a dispute over the ownership of the title "German Grand Prix".
Since 2008 the European Grand Prix has taken place in Valencia, Spain. During the 2009 event, Valencia signed a deal for a further 5 races, which puts Valencia on the calendar until 2014. There are doubts about its continuation on the calendar thereafter due to disappointing attendances and increased competition between nations to host a grand prix, leaving no room for one country to host two races. Its vacated place on the calendar is set to rotate among other nations, as the sport seeks new markets.
In March 2012, it was announced that the European Grand Prix would be discontinued in 2013, with the Spanish Grand Prix alternating between Barcelona and Valencia.
Read more about this topic: European Grand Prix
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