Towards a Return of the Austrian Grand Prix?

In 2003, Bernie Ecclestone terminated the contract with the Zeltweg circuit for hosting the Austrian Grand Prix due to the Austrian government’s support for the European Union’s anti-tobacco legislation. At that time, Red Bull was only a sponsor, and it wasn’t until the end of the 2004 season that the energy drink giant acquired the Jaguar team, based in Milton Keynes, which would experience the development and success that have made it, for the past 2 years, the forefront of Formula One.

It was in 1964 that the first Austrian Grand Prix took place, organized on a temporary L-shaped circuit set up on the Zeltweg airfield. It was won by Lorenzo Bandini, marking his only career victory, and aimed to promote the development of a proper racing circuit. It was on this occasion that Jochen Rindt made his Formula One debut, but the Austrian had to wait until 1970 to compete in his second home race at the newly constructed Österreichring. Unfortunately, this was the last Grand Prix for the Austrian, who died during practice at Monza and was posthumously crowned a few months later. Austrians soon found a new idol in Niki Lauda, and the Austrian Grand Prix remained a staple on the F1 calendar until 1987, when the fast and increasingly dangerous track had to be shortened. Renamed the A1-Ring due to its sponsor, a telephone company, the Austrian circuit returned in 1997 before disappearing again in 2003, not without leaving its mark on history once more with the scandal of Ferrari team orders.

Since, due to the lack of a Grand Prix and a top driver – apart from Wurz – Red Bull has become Austria’s main flagbearer in Formula One. However, Dietrich Mateschitz, who had acquired the circuit, didn’t seem most inclined to undertake its renovation. Nevertheless, after a failed purchase attempt by Alexander Wurz, the Austrian billionaire finally decided in 2008 to allocate a budget of 70 million dollars to undertake the necessary work for the rehabilitation of the circuit, which officially reopened last weekend during a major gathering of the Red Bull galaxy.

The circuit, renamed ‘Red Bull Ring’, will host the third round of the DTM Championship on June 5th, then the F2 Championship on August 27th and 28th, and could even aspire to be on the Formula One calendar, having recently received the necessary homologations.

When asked about the possibility of such a return, Bernie Ecclestone simply responds with a “Why not?” and expresses his enthusiasm for the work accomplished: “It should have been done 10 years ago. Without the rain, I would have never realized it was the same place.”

But the F1’s chief financial officer isn’t the only one getting excited. “I like the new track, although the layout remains essentially the same,” declares Sebastian Vettel, who has literally been able to leave his marks around the circuit, as all the winners defending Red Bull’s colors will do. “The downhill sections, with the curves, […] are very tricky, especially because today the track was wet. It would be really nice to have a race here, and I would be happy if Formula One could return to the Red Bull Ring, preferably during my career,” the German specifies, adding that a Grand Prix could theoretically and practically take place there.

For his part, Mark Webber claims to the Kleine Zeitung that this track is ready for Formula One after completing a few laps, while Michael Schumacher, who won the last two editions there in 2002 and 2003, recently praised the fact that the track is maintained and stated he doesn’t see why Formula One shouldn’t return to Austria.

Invited to the festivities, Niki Lauda also shared his own comment: « It’s really impressive what has happened here. I’m glad that the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg has been revived: it’s a huge asset for motor racing in Austria. The layout is the same, but everything is in perfect condition and has facilities as modern as those in Bahrain. » But to see a future for a potential return of the Austrian Grand Prix, would he take the plunge? « There are obstacles to overcome, but, above all, nobody knows what Mr. Mateschitz’s plans are. »

And, indeed, although everyone displays a certain enthusiasm and while a return of the Austrian Grand Prix might seem entirely justified in light of Red Bull’s contribution and the current dominance of its team, the owner of the circuit has stated from the outset that he does not intend to host a Formula One Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. The Austrian billionaire remains realistic: “We will not have a Formula One race or a MotoGP here,” he says before clarifying his position. “If you look at the new Formula One circuits, those that have recently arrived and those that are upcoming, you have to admit that the chances of seeing F1 return to Spielberg are more than minimal.”

Regarding a possible relocation of the team’s factory to or near the circuit, the owner of the Red Bull team was a bit more categorical: « I thought about it, but no! You can build whatever you want, but in Styria, you cannot bring in 300 of the best people in Formula One. F1 engineers are in England. »

Be that as it may, the teams seem to want to negotiate the return of certain European circuits as conditions for the upcoming Concorde Agreements, as Stefano Domenicali indicated alongside the Turkish Grand Prix. Dietrich Mateschitz will therefore have plenty of time to reconsider it by then.

Find below a brief video preview of this renaissance for the Austrian circuit: