German Formula E round could move from Berlin to Norisring
Formula E is weighing up a race at the Norisring for this season in place of the Berlin Tempelhof airport
The airport was due to host a round of the championship for a second successive year next May, but two of its hangars are now being used by the German government to house refugees.
Around 800 people fleeing from countries in conflict, such as Syria, are currently being sheltered there, while as many as 1200 could eventually be accommodated.
Autosport understands Formula E has received official confirmation the Tempelhof cannot be used for the May 21 event, and the championship is evaluating using the Norisring or a potential new venue in Berlin or Munich instead.
The Nuremberg street track has been a crucial part of the DTM calendar since the German series' first iteration in the 1970s and has also hosted national or European Formula 3 for the past 30 years.
Series CEO Alejandro Agag told Autosport: "I am actively looking for other venues, my team is looking in Germany.
"The Norisring would be pretty cool. It's a proper racing place. That's nice, it's like racing in Monaco, or Long Beach.
"It brings a lot of heritage. We are motorsport fanatics here, and we know the value of heritage and history. It's everything in motorsport.
"It's an option. But Berlin is an option, Munich is an option also.
"We have different conversations on at the moment."
A decision on the replacement German round is a high priority for the series with less than six months to go.
Last year's Moscow ePrix was successfully held despite only being officially confirmed four months beforehand, although Agag believes the venue that is chosen as the Tempelhof replacement will not be as difficult logistically.
"We have all the walls and fences from Berlin, so if we have a race in Munich or Berlin we at least have all the hardware," he added.
"And at the Norisring they have their own because they have the track already."
While the late requirement for a replacement venue makes it difficult for Formula E, Agag said it was vital it managed to have a race in Germany.
"Germany is extremely important," he said. "We have partners from there and we have teams from Germany.
"But also the German motor industry is so important and environmentally it's very advanced, so it's a key market."
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