Located in Spielberg, Austria, the Red Bull Ring is a historic F1 track that has undergone numerous changes since its first race in 1970.
The track has been known as the Österreichring, where it hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 years from 1970 to 1987, the A-1 Ring between 1996 and 2003 and, currently, the Red Bull Ring from 2014.
Red Bull Ring Circuit
| First Grand Prix | 1970 Austrian Grand Prix |
| Number of Laps | 71 |
| Circuit Length | 4.318km |
| Race Distance | 306.452 km |
| Lap Record | 1:05.619 Carlos Sainz (2020) |
Circuit
When was the Red Bull Ring circuit built?
The intimidating and innovative Österreichring was built in 1969 to replace the outdated Zeltweg Airfield Circuit. The Red Bull Ring, as it is currently recognised, underwent a significant transformation during the winter of 1995 and 1996, with the aid of Hermann Tilke, to convert the Österreichring into a modern, shorter racetrack, similar to what we see today.
After being shortened and renamed the A1-Ring for the 1997 season, the track hosted the same event from 1997 to 2003 before it was deemed unfit for Formula One races. To bring it back to the race calendar, some parts of the circuit, such as the pits and main grandstand, were demolished to extend the layout. However, construction work was abandoned, and the track was unused for several years.
In 2011, the Red Bull Ring was reopened after being rebuilt by Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull, after which Formula One was finally brought back to the track in 2014. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Bull Ring hosted additional events in 2020 and 2021, known as the Styrian Grand Prix.
When was the first Austrian Grand Prix?
The Austrian Grand Prix has been hosted in southeastern Austria at two tracks from 1964, 1970–1987, 1997–2003, and then returning to the Formula One calendar in 2014.
Initially held in Zeltweg at the Zeltweg Airfield Circuit, the first FIA-sanctioned Austrian Grand Prix in 1964 saw Ferrari driver Lorenzo Bandini clinch his only Formula One victory. Despite the race’s success, the track was criticised for being treacherous and inadequate for drivers, with a bumpy and uneven layout. As a result, the FIA shelved the event from the F1 calendar until an appropriate track could be constructed.
From 1970 until 1987, the event was held at a safer permanent track named the Österreichring. In 1995 and 1996, the Österreichring was refurbished and brought up to date, then racing at the re-named A-1 Ring from 1997-2003.
After a long absence from the race calendar, F1 returned in 2014 to the further updated track, re-named again as the Red Bull Ring.
Red Bull Ring lap record
The official lap record for the current F1 Grand Prix circuit layout is 1:05.619, set by Carlos Sainz during the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix driving for McLaren.
