1088th F1 GRAND PRIX | 37th AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX | 37th GRAND PRIX AT RED BULL RING
2022 POLESITTER: MAX VERSTAPPEN | 2022 WINNER: CHARLES LECLERC
The shortest track on the Formula 1 calendar, the Red Bull Ring produces exciting, fast-paced races. The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix is set to take place on July 2.
2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday 30th June
Free Practice 1 – 1:30pm Local Time / 12:30pm UK Time
Qualifying – 5:00pm Local Time / 4:00pm UK Time
Saturday 1st July
Free Practice 2 – 12:30pm Local Time / 11:30am UK Time
Sprint – 4:30pm Local Time / 3:30pm UK Time
Sunday 2nd July
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix – 3:00pm Local Time / 2:00pm UK Time
2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
This will be the 19th race held on the shorter layout of the Spielberg circuit since F1 returned when it was re-named as the A1-Ring back in 1997. That means that after the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, the current layout of the Red Bull Ring will have hosted more rounds of the World Championship than the original Österreichring layout.
Victory for Max Verstappen at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix would see him extend his record of most F1 wins in Austria to five. A win for Verstappen would also see him usurp Alain Prost as the driver to have won the Austrian Grand Prix on the most occasions.
Should Charles Leclerc win the race, he would equal the record for most consecutive wins at the venue. No driver has won more than two successive events at the track.
McLaren and Mercedes are currently tied for the most F1 wins at the Red Bull Ring, with six apiece. Either team could set a new outright record at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, while Ferrari could equal the existing record.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS WHICH COULD BE BROKEN
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
Other than changes to trackside verges, there have been no changes to the Red Bull Ring since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX?
There are no changes from last year to the DRS zones at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. There are three detection points and three activation zones. The activation zones are on the main straight, on the run up to Turns 2 and 3 and on the straight between Turns 3 and 4.
RED BULL RING TRACK GUIDE
Situated in the remote but breathtaking Styrian mountains, the track now known as the Red Bull Ring returned to the F1 calendar in 2014. With lap times of just over a minute, the circuit has been changed a lot over the years yet has maintained a nostalgic spark.
In 1958, a temporary circuit was set up on the military airfield in Zeltweg. The course, inspired by the way in which the iconic Silverstone circuit came into being, was marked out by hay bales and raced on in a non-chmpionship F1 event in 1963, before stepping up as an official round of the championship in 1964. The track surface, however, was far too bumpy and abrasive for F1 machinery, and the sport never returned to the circuit.
Instead, six years later, Formula 1 settled at a track just up the valley from the airfield, named the Osterreichring. The track was around double the length of the Zeltweg airfield track, and was tremendously fast, with flowing bends which swept through the mountainous surroundings.
With not much run-off area the track was dangerous, as proven by the 1975 race where a series of accidents marred the practice sessions. At the Hella-Licht curve, the first turn on the track, American racer Mark Donohue crashed through the catch-fencing, ultimately leading to his death and the death of a marshal. Changes were made to the track following the event, and a chicane was added making the former fastest corner on the track become the slowest.
The 1987 event was the last to be held at the original Osterreichring. Safety fears and lack of funding from the organisers to be in a position to make it safer meant the track disappeared from the calendar. The Austrian round of the championship was replaced with the Hungarian Grand Prix.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers on Friday morning before the opening practice session. The drivers appearing in the press conference are:
Group 1
Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Logan Sargeant (Williams)
Group 2
Nyck De Vries (AlphaTauri)
Nico Hülkenberg (Haas)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams on Saturday morning. The team members appearing in the press conference are: Alessandro Alunni Bravi (Alfa Romeo), Franz Tost (AlphaTauri), Guenther Steiner (Haas) and Christian Horner (Red Bull).
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX?
Niels Wittich will be the race director at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is Enrique Bernoldi.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2023 AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli have announced that the C3, C4 and C5 tyre compounds will be used at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. The C3, C4 and C5 compounds were also used in 2022.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX?
Max Verstappen took pole position and won the F1 Sprint at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, but it was Charles Leclerc who emerged victorious in Sunday’s race.
At the second race weekend to feature the F1 Sprint in 2022, the drivers had just an hour of Free Practice to prepare for qualifying. There was high drama in Q3 as both Mercedes drivers crashed out while setting fast laps. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had been running well throughout qualifying but both pushed their cars too far. Hamilton brought out the first red flag with five minutes remaining in Q3, while Russell crashed at the final corner on his next attempt bringing out another red flag.
Max Verstappen was fastest in qualifying, setting the fastest time from Charles Leclerc by just 0.029 seconds. The duo lined up side-by-side for the start of the F1 Sprint on Saturday. Fernando Alonso was wheeled into the pit lane from the grid after Alpine mechanics left the tyre blankets on the car. The sprint race start was further delayed by Zhou Guanyu coming to a halt with engine issues at the back of the grid.
When Saturday’s race began, Verstappen maintained his lead, while Carlos Sainz passed his team-mate for second place. The Ferrari battle continued around Lap 1, with Leclerc coming out on top. Meanwhile, at Turn 1, Hamilton made contact with Pierre Gasly. The Ferraris continued to battle each other, allowing Verstappen to scamper away with the lead.
As the race reached its halfway point, Alex Albon tapped Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin, with the German spinning into the gravel. Sergio Perez made a fine comeback from 13th on the Sprint grid after having his Q3 lap times deleted for exceeding track limits. He finished the Sprint in fifth, while his team-mate claimed eight points with victory in the Saturday race.
At the start of Sunday’s Grand Prix, it was a replay of Saturday’s race with Verstappen staying ahead at the start. Sainz and Russell battled for third place, their battle allowing Perez to get alongside Russell. The Red Bull made contact with the side of the Mercedes and Perez was left spinning into the gravel and last in the order.
On Lap 12, Leclerc made a bold move on Verstappen at Turn 5 for the lead of the race. Verstappen subsequently pitted in an attempt to undercut the Ferrari. Leclerc pitted on Lap 27, emerging behind Verstappen but on much fresher rubber. By Lap 33, Leclerc was on the tail of Verstappen and the Dutchman did little to prevent the Ferrari passing him at Turn 3. Verstappen pitted for the second time four laps later, with Leclerc coming in on Lap 50. Leclerc overtook Verstappen on Lap 57, at the same point as he did earlier in the race.
Further back, a battle between Kevin Magnussen and Fernando Alonso soon became a five car tussle for eighth place, the quintet running within just a few car lengths. Vettel found himself spinning out, this time in an incident with Gasly, who received a time penalty for the altercation.
15 laps from the end, Sainz encountered power unit issues with his car igniting as the Spaniard made a hasty exit from the cockpit. While there was disappointment on the other side of the garage, Lelcerc delivered victory for the Scuderia. Verstappen followed him home in second place, with Hamilton recovering from Friday’s crash to a podium finish.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP TIME AT THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting the Red Bull Ring in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.
