ThefirstFormula1AustrianGrandPrixwasheldatZeltwegAirfieldin1964.Thetrackhadbeencompletedin1959,withtheideaofrepeatingthesuccessofthatotherairfieldcircuit,Silverstone.ButtheF1circusonlyvisiteditonce,becausethetracksurfacewastooabrasive.F1returnedtoAustriain1970onanewtrack,notfarfromtheoriginalone,inthebeautifulregionofStyria.ItwascalledtheOsterreichring,theonlyhometheracehashadfrom1970to2019,eventhoughthevenue’snamewaschangedfromOsterreichringtoA1-RingandnowtotheRedBullRing.
The race has been held in two periods at this venue, from 1970 to 1987 and from 1997 to 2003 and from 2014 to the present day. Over time, the layout has changed with the original one being deemed too dangerous, a danger McLaren’s Stefan Johansson experienced first hand during Friday free practice in 1987, when he collided with and killed a deer.
