For the first time in 11 years, Formula One makes a welcome return to one of its most storied venues, Spielberg and the
The Austrian GP was first run as a World Championship race in 1964, on a terrible airport circuit in Zeltweg, just a few miles from the current circuit. It was Lorenzo Bandini's sole win, the track now forgotten.
The history of the circuit stretches back to 1970, with local hero Jochen Rindt's last race before his death at Monza. The original Osterreichring was one of racing's finest circuits, with fast corners, long straights, gradients there to challenge even the best. Even the introduction of a chicane in 1976 did not alter the circuit's character. Along with the fine layout, the circuit also had a nasty reputation for start line crashes, particularly in 1987, with 2 big pile ups, partly the reason behind the loss of the event from the calendar. An onboard lap from Lotus driver Satoru Nakajima really shows what a marvellous track it was.
The race made a return in 1997, albeit to a circuit in a heavily emasculated form and a new name; The A1 Ring. Gone were the fast sweeps, in came hairpins and 90 degree corners. It was the first track in Formula 1 history that was penned by the infamous Tilke GmbH, now the principal circuit design company in F1. The layout was simple, with 9 corners, 7 right and only 2 left. Lap times were around the 1:10 mark in qualifying.
The race remained on the calendar until 2003, when politics and low crowds meant its second demise.
Drinks company Red Bull then purchased the track and reopened it in 2011 under its current guise, the Red Bull Ring. They somehow convinced Bernie it was a good idea to reintroduce it and he agreed. Having taken European races off the calendar, he decided to add one back, F1 fans rejoice.
Many moments in F1 folklore have occurred here, Penske's sole win, Brambilla crashing after the flag, Lauda winning his home race, Rosberg and de Angelis duelling to the line, Fisichella's first pole in the wet, Hakkinen and Coulthard colliding on lap 1, Sato's massive accident and of course, Schumacher's "win" in 2002. Can a new moment be added to that list this weekend? We shall see.
GP3 and GP2 are also racing here, lookout for trouble in the first corner.
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