Austrian Grand Prix: track and statistics

The Austrian circuit returned to Formula 1 for the 2014 season. The race at the Spielberg circuit, which changed its name for the third time – Österreichring – A1 Ring – Red Bull Ring – returned to the championship thanks to the efforts of Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

For two years, the Spielberg circuit hosted double stages due to the pandemic, and then the Red Bull Ring will host a stage with a Saturday sprint for the third year in a row.

The track configuration corresponds to that of 2003, but has been adapted to modern standards: safety zones have been expanded, certain sections have been equipped with TecPro barriers, a new press center and other facilities have been built. Situated in a very picturesque location, the old school track has been given a new look.

The names of most of the corners with the names of the racers have been changed. The Jochen Rindt corner remained, and in 2019 the Niki Lauda corner appeared again – that was the name of the first corner of the track.

The lap on the Austrian circuit is quite short; now even shorter only in Monaco, Sao Paulo, Zandvoort and Mexico City, making the results in Spielberg traditionally tight.

The Spielberg circuit is the shortest in terms of lap time. The record now belongs to Valtteri Bottas, who drove a Mercedes in the 2020 qualifying final in 1:02.939.

Spielberg has just ten corners – fewer than any other Formula 1 circuit, but in fact it is even fewer – turns two, five and eight are taken with the accelerator fully depressed. On the long straight in the first sector you can attack while braking, but the Austrian circuit is not the easiest circuit to fight for position.

The Spielberg circuit is demanding in terms of driving behavior: the car must be as docile as possible, offering good mechanical grip at low speeds (turns 1, 3 and 4) and high efficiency in turns 6-7 and 9 at high speed . 10. Engineers will have to look for the traditional compromise between downforce and speed.

The height difference of 63.5 meters between the lowest point – the start-finish straight, and the highest point – the third corner – is the second on the calendar, after Spa (102.2 meters).

There are three serious braking points on the track – before turns 1, 3 and 4. During a short lap, the brakes do not have time to cool, which increases wear. Teams are forced to use the maximum configuration of the brake cooling system, which prevents the front tires from warming up properly – and on a short lap it is difficult to find the optimal balance between the temperatures of the front and rear tires.

With four straights, the throttle is fully depressed for most of the lap, but few serious braking sessions make it difficult to achieve effective energy recovery with the MGU-K.

The Red Bull Ring is known for its high curbs – especially in turns one, six and seven, the load on the suspension is high.

Like Interlagos, the Spielberg circuit is at a considerable height above sea level – about 640 meters, so the turbine will spin at high speed to compensate for the lower air pressure.

Toto WolffMercedes: “Weekends in Austria are always special. This is my home race and I have fond memories of this circuit, both from the success of the team and from my previous years of racing and teaching as an instructor. In addition, we are waiting for the second Saturday sprint weekend of the season – it will be interesting to see how this will affect the balance of power.

From the diagram, the Spielberg short may seem simple – several long straights are separated by slow, medium and fast corners – but it is extremely difficult to drive cleanly.

Weekend schedule

You can follow the progress of all Formula 1 sessions on our live broadcast page.

Tire kits issued to teams for the weekend

For the fifth time this season, after Australia, Imola, Monaco and Canada, Pirelli will bring the softest compounds to the podium: C3, C4 and C5 labeled Hard, Medium and Soft.

Mario Isola: “On the Red Bull Ring the tires are constantly under high pressure. The cars complete a circle of 10 turns in a time of barely more than a minute, while the straights are not so long, the tires work all the time without a break.

The asphalt surface is quite old, which explains its quite high abrasiveness, but the grip level at the start of the lap is also high. Effective acceleration and braking are critical, but you also need to work the tires to prevent overheating.

Drivers who do not cool their tires properly may find it difficult to fend off rival attacks, especially in the first and third sectors. This can be seriously affected by air temperature and track, as the weather in Spielberg is traditionally changeable.

Acceleration and braking efficiency are key elements at Spielberg. When braking heavily on descents, there is a risk of the tires locking up. To ensure sufficient grip on the track, it is crucial to monitor the performance of the rear tires throughout the lap. Our tire choice for the Austrian round allows for several strategic options.”

Performance of current riders in Austria

Charles Leclerc: “I’m looking forward to the race in Austria. The Red Bull Ring is one of my favorite circuits, after Monaco in this regard. The circle is very short, but has a special rhythm that I like. The fans there are always very supportive and there are several events taking place around the circuit, so the weekend is proving to be very interesting.”