2025 Austrian Grand Prix: Fast Facts

After a brief Canadian interlude, Formula 1 is back in Europe for four races in the space of six weeks leading up to the summer break. It kicks off this weekend with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, the facility owned by the eponymous Austrian energy drink company.

For the past three years, this event has been run to the Sprint format, but now it returns to the standard one, with three free practice sessions, two on Friday and one on Saturday, followed by qualifying on Saturday evening and the race on Sunday.

The Compounds

The choice of compounds the teams can use is the same as last year’s, namely C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Soft. The track surface at the Red Bull Ring is rather old and is highly abrasive, but wear is not a key factor. With very few corners, the track is not very severe in terms of the lateral forces exerted on the tyres, while degradation is mainly thermal in origin, which is down to the track layout with several hard braking and acceleration points. Managing tyre overheating, particularly on the rear axle, is a significant challenge. Furthermore, air and track temperatures can be quite high at this time of year.

The Track

Of those tracks on the current calendar, the Red Bull Ring has the fewest corners (ten) with the shortest lap time (1’02”939, set by Valtteri Bottas in a Mercedes in 2020). It ranks second overall after Spa-Francorchamps in terms of elevation change, with a 63.5 metre difference between the highest and lowest points on the track. The three sectors are very different from one another: the first is all uphill, with two straights, while the second begins with heavy braking for turn 3, before running downhill to the entry for turn 7. From there the track again climbs slightly, followed by another descent to the longest straight and the final two high-speed corners. There are three DRS zones, which makes this race one of the most action-packed on the calendar.

The venue gets plenty of use, with racing on both four and two wheels, therefore the track is pretty well rubbered-in right from the start of the weekend. Early summer can bring high temperatures, but the Styrian mountain location and surrounding forests often cause rapid changes in the weather with rain clouds building up quickly.

The Stats

This year’s race is the 38th edition of the Austrian Grand Prix, while Formula 1 celebrates its 40th appearance in Styria. The first was in 1964 on a track that made use of the Zeltweg military airfield, a stone’s throw from the current venue. The race moved to Spielberg in 1970 when the track was known as the Österreichring, its home until 1987. After a ten year break, the event was run for a further six years on a shortened track, known as the A1-Ring. In 2014, it was renamed Red Bull Ring. In 2020 and 2021, the track also hosted the Styrian Grand Prix, back-to-back with the Austrian race, as part of the special calendars in the Covid years.

Max Verstappen is the most successful driver in Austria, with four wins in the eponymous Grand Prix and one in the 2021 Styrian GP. The Dutchman also heads the standings for pole positions (5) and podium finishes (8). 26 drivers have won at least once in Austria, eleven of them world champions – the aforementioned Verstappen, Alain Prost, Alan Jones, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve and Lewis Hamilton. Last year’s winner was George Russell.

The most successful team in Austria is Mercedes, with a total of seven wins, although in the actual Austrian Grand Prix, the marque with the three-pointed star shares the top slot with Ferrari and McLaren. Making the difference is Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix. Ferrari leads the way for poles with eight and also has the most podium finishes on 29.

2025 Austrian Grand Prix Scheduling

Below is the schedule for the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix, with all times listed as the track time in Austria:

June 27

Practice 1: 13:30 – 14:30

Practice 2: 17:00 – 18:00

June 28

Practice 3: 12:30 – 13:30

Qualifying: 16:00 – 17:00

June 29

Race: 15:00

How to Watch the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix

Formula 1 fans around the globe can catch all the action from the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix through various broadcasters and streaming services.

In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with comprehensive coverage of the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself.

For fans in the United States, the Austrian Grand Prix will be available through ESPN and its associated channels. ESPN offers extensive coverage of F1, including live broadcasts and replays. Cord-cutters can also stream the race live through various over-the-top (OTT) services that carry ESPN channels.

Viewers in Australia can tune in to watch the Grand Prix weekend unfold live on Fox Sports, which offers complete coverage of F1 races. For online streaming, fans can subscribe to Kayo Sports, a streaming platform that includes all Fox Sports content.

Additionally, F1 TV Pro offers live streaming of every track session to viewers in many countries worldwide.

This subscription service provides access to onboard cameras, team radios, live timing, and more, for an immersive viewing experience.

Remember to check the local listings and services for the most up-to-date information regarding broadcast times and availability in your region.

Austrian Grand Prix Fast Facts

• With a lap record of just 1:02.939, set by Valtteri Bottas in 2020, the circuit in Spielberg is the shortest in terms of time on the 2025 calendar.
• Despite that, it ranks fifth in terms of shortest distance, clocking in at 4.318 km. Only Monaco, Zandvoort, Mexico City, and Interlagos are shorter.
• With just 10 corners, Spielberg has the fewest of any track of the current F1 circuits. At the same time, Turns 2, 5 and 8 are taken at full throttle and are therefore not considered to be corners in an engineering sense.
• Austria is one of four tracks on the calendar in 2025 (Miami, Canada, and Las Vegas) to have three corners that are taken at full throttle.
• There are large demands placed on a car’s handling in Austria, whilst at the same time the circuit demands good mechanical grip at low speed (Turns 1, 3, and 4) and strong performance at high speed (Turns 6-7 and 9-10). Engineers have to find the best compromise with set-up in order to achieve the best lap time.
• The difference in elevation of 69 metres between the lowest and highest points at the circuit is one of the largest of the season. That is unsurprising given the track’s location in the Styrian mountains.
• It also has a steep gradient from track edge to edge in places, as exemplified by Turns 3 and 4. The circuit here slopes up towards the apex as the car drives over the crest while accelerating out of the corner. This can result in one wheel leaving the ground, causing challenges with braking, stability, and traction.
• The track has three very hard braking zones in succession on the approaches to Turns 1, 3, and 4. As the brakes are unable to cool down sufficiently over the rest of the track, as the lap is relatively short, it has an impact on the maximum pressures and general wear and tear experienced.
• For that reason, teams must apply significant cooling levels to the brakes. That poses a challenge in warming up the front tyres. With a short out-lap, it is a challenge to get them in the right operating window for a qualifying lap.
• Spielberg is notorious for its aggressive kerbs and is considered to be one of the toughest tests for vehicle suspension. This especially applies to the kerbs at the exit of T1, T6, and T7, which take a high toll on the cars due to their amplitude (i.e. the gap between the highest and lowest points of the kerbs) and the frequency (speed effect) at which they are taken.
• With a maximum previously-recorded track temperature of 55.1 degrees, the surface in Spielberg can be the hottest of the season
• The 2025 Austrian Grand Prix sees the return of the original format after three years of hosting the Sprint race format.
• Niki Lauda is the only Austrian driver to have won the Austrian Grand Prix, in 1984.
• The Red Bull Ring became the first circuit to host consecutive Grands Prix when it hosted the Austrian and Styrian GPs at the start of 2020.
• Mercedes has seven wins at the Red Bull Ring, more than any other F1 constructor.
• George Russell’s triumph in 2024 means he has won at the Red Bull Ring at Formula 2, Formula 3, and Formula 1 levels.