In the pandemic year of 2020, the Austrian stage opened the Formula 1 season in mid-July, partly thanks to the efforts of Dietrich Mateschitz and Helmut Marko. The whole world was still at home and Formula 1 returned to the circuit. At Marco’s initiative, a series of strict rules to minimize contact between teams were developed, agreed with the FIA and Austrian doctors who were relatively loyal on the matter.
Everyone went to their “bubbles”, there were no spectators in the stands, but fans all over the world were glued to their television screens – racing is back!
Since then, the Austrian races have no longer been held in the usual format. For the first two years, Spielberg hosted two stages in a row: the Styrian Grand Prix and the Austrian Grand Prix, and in 2022 he was the first to try a weekend with a Saturday sprint. Since then, the stages have been held there in exactly this format.
We started to get used to it. They bring more money to promoters and Formula 1, it makes sense that every year there are more and more stages with Saturday sprints. Although the traditional Grand Prix format, especially on old-school circuits, is still more famous.
The Austrian Grand Prix is the second leg of a series of three races in a row. No logistical problems are expected: from Barcelona to Spielberg there are 1,610 kilometers on public roads. After leaving the Catalan capital on Monday morning, the Formula 1 shipment arrived at the Austrian circuit 17 hours later.
Only the McLaren camper remained in Spain, where it will be restored in special workshops after the fire, and the team has already rented another one.
At the start of the season it looked like Max Verstappen would have no rivals this year, but now the intrigue is growing with every stage. Last year Max dominated all training sessions and won the qualifying sessions, the sprint and the race on Sunday. It will be interesting to compare the results this week, when all the stands will be painted in the orange colors of Verstappen fans again.
The Silverstone circuit, where next week’s stage takes place, is called home by many teams. But this is more likely not a house, but an anthill, where guests come to everyone at the same time. Only Ferrari at Monza and Red Bull at Spielberg have truly exclusive home stages.
This weekend is all about Red Bull. Entertainment program, performances by pilots and other extreme sports enthusiasts, financed by an Austrian company. Dietrich Mateschitz is no more, but the advertising budgets remain – and there is no doubt that viewers will be drinking many cans of the eponymous energy drink this weekend.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
