NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix

After making the trip to Canada last time out, Formula 1 returns to Europe for Round 11 on the calendar, the Austrian Grand Prix.

Free Practice 1 and 2 will take place on Friday, June 27, followed by Free Practice 3 and Qualifying on Saturday, June 28, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, June 29.

Vital Statistics

• First Grand Prix – 1964 (Zeltweg)
• Track Length – 4.318km
• Lap record – 1m 05.619s, Carlos Sainz, McLaren, 2020
• Most pole positions –Max Verstappen (4)
• Most wins – Max Verstappen (4)
• Trivia – Austria’s Red Bull Ring has the fewest corners on the F1 calendar, with just 10 turns making up the layout
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 233 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2024 – 85
• Safety Car probability – 38%
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 50%
• Pit stop time loss – 20.3 seconds (includes 2.5s stop)

The Driver’s Verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Austria is a picturesque circuit, really undulating, which makes it nice to drive and characterful.

You’ve got to be careful with the kerbs as it’s very easy to get straddling or to get over some more abrasive kerbs, which can inflict a bit of damage to your car. But beyond that, it’s a short and relatively simple circuit with some hidden technicalities.

Turn 1 is always quicker than you think it’s going to be, but braking is the order of the day for the first sector. Turn 4, a downhill braking zone, is the easiest one to mess up – so many drivers end up in the gravel there on the exit.

There’s overtaking aplenty in Turns 3 and 4, and then the flow through the second half of the lap is really good as it just comes around so quickly. It’s one of the fastest on the calendar and it really feels it at the wheel. You barely get a breath through this Grand Prix.

Last five Austrian GP polesitters

• 2024 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2020 – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Last five Austrian GP winners

• 2024 – George Russell (Mercedes)
• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2020 – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Tyre and strategy insight

“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,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview. “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.”

In terms of strategy, the tyre manufacturer adds: “Last year’s race was very linear, at least over the first two thirds of the race.

“As expected, the most effective strategy was a two-stop: those who did three or more – Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Logan Sargeant – did so for unforeseen circumstances, not by choice. All the drivers lined up on the grid on medium tyres while, starting from pit lane, Zhou Guanyu went with the hard.

“The C4 and the C3 were the undoubted protagonists of this race, with the C5 only putting in an appearance at the end, used by Verstappen for the last seven laps after his enforced stop and by Alonso, who was trying for the race fastest lap, which he did indeed set.”

Current form

On paper, the picture has not dramatically changed standings-wise in the aftermath of the Canadian Grand Prix; Oscar Piastri continues to head the Drivers’ standings, while McLaren have a significant lead in the Teams’ Championship.

But several talking points emerged following the race that affect the battle at the top, including how the papaya squad will handle things going forwards following the dramatic collision that occurred between Piastri and Lando Norris in Montreal.

Norris immediately took the blame for the incident, a reaction that was appreciated by Team Principal Andrea Stella. But the Briton will need to bounce back this weekend in Austria in order to avoid losing further ground to Piastri in the World Championship.

Mercedes, meanwhile, arrive at the Red Bull Ring off the back of their strongest outing of the year in Canada, with George Russell taking pole position and victory. This has put the squad back into P2 of the Teams’ standings after previously losing the position to Ferrari – but can the Scuderia launch a fightback after a tough weekend in Montreal?

Elsewhere, Max Verstappen remains one penalty point away from an automatic race suspension – but, after a clean weekend at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, the Red Bull driver showed that he is not feeling any extra pressure from this risk as he continues to hold P3 in the Drivers’ Championship.

In terms of the midfield battle, Williams still hold a clear edge in fifth place of the Teams’ leaderboard – but the margins are increasingly close behind them, with the gap from Haas in sixth through to Kick Sauber in ninth standing at just eight points. Can any of these outfits claim a valuable position by further adding to their tally this weekend?

Iconic moment

It was an already unusual weekend in Austria back in 1999, which marked the first race since Michael Schumacher was sidelined by a broken leg, leaving it up to Eddie Irvine to lead Ferrari’s charge and take the fight to the McLaren drivers.

Having been comfortably outpaced by Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard in Qualifying, the Northern Irishman was handed a gift at Turn 3 when the leading pair dramatically collided – Coulthard nudging his team mate into a spin to the dismay of those watching on in the McLaren garage.

From there, it got worse for Coulthard, who was reeled in by Irvine and overhauled as the strategies unfolded, giving the Ferrari man a boost in his quest for the title and leaving Coulthard to apologise as Hakkinen (that year’s eventual champion) salvaged third.

Watch the drama as it unfolded in the video player below...