EVENT
RACETRACK
CATEGORIES
REGION
HOTEL
REGLEMENT
Red Bull Ring - Austria
The Red Bull Ring was opened in 1969 as the Österreichring. In 1995/1996, the circuit was rebuilt and shortened and was then given the name of the Austrian mobile phone provider A1. After the takeover by Dietrich Mateschitz in 2008 and the reconstruction, the A1 Ring became the Red Bull Ring. Since then, the circuit has once again been the center of Austrian motorsport. In the 2016 season, a MotoGP™ World Championship race was held at the Red Bull Ring for the first time since 18 years.
An outstanding feature of the Red Bull Ring is his location. Surrounded by the idyllic landscape of the Mur Valley, this circuit is particularly characterized by its hillside location. The maximum uphill gradient is 12%, the maximum downhill grade is 9.3% and the difference in altitude between the highest point, the T3 corner, and the finishing straight is no less than 65 meters. The long straights with their hard braking points guarantee action and overtaking maneuvers, while the flowing middle section requires a great level of precision.
Gustl Auinger once remarked that "the circuit is very simple on paper, it goes around to the right most of the time, then there are a few left turns and the lap is done." In fact, the Red Bull Ring is a unique combination of stop-and-go characteristics and fast corners due to its topography. Finding the right balance is a real challenge for the riders, as it is for the technology.
The crucial factors for the stop-and-go character of the circuit are definitely the combination of performance and traction together with braking power and stability. It requires impressive acceleration followed shortly afterwards by outstanding deceleration. Whether on a classic bike or a superbike, the Red Bull Ring is never boring from a rider's perspective.
LENGTH 4.318 |
TRACK WIDTH 13 |
CURVES 3L / 8R |
LONGEST STRAIGHT 626 |
DIRECTION RE |
HEIGHT DIFFERENCE 65 |
THE NEW CHICANE
MotoGP fans vividly remember the crash between Franco Morbidelli and Johann Zarco in 2020. After an intensive discussion and 15 proposals to reduce the risk of a crash at Turn 3, an intersecting right-left combination was planned and implemented as a track layout option by well-known race track developer Hermann Tilke. As a result, the Red Bull Ring now offers two different layout options.
The first layout is the Formula 1 layout, which has existed since 2008 and is still used by Formula 1. This involves a high-speed run through a gentle curve up to the Remus curve, where the brakes are then applied hard. The second layout is the MotoGP layout, which has been used in the MotoGP series since 2022. It significantly reduces the top speed to Remus-Kurve without changing the character of the track as a stop-and-go circuit. The new track layout may slow down the pace on the long straight, but it also offers new opportunities for overtaking and significantly increases safety for motorcycles.
THE PADDOCK
The paddock and race track fulfill the strict FIA standards at an extremely high level in terms of comfort and safety. Race Control was renewed in 2022 and sets new standards worldwide. 21 monitors were installed. But more importantly, 34 cameras have been distributed around the racetrack, which have a 360-degree swivel range and can be operated individually. This means that Race Control always has a perfect overview and can make spontaneous decisions based on valid information, which are highly relevant in terms of safety.
There are 30 large, bright and clean boxes available for the riders, some with showers and toilets. Each individual box has a length of 17.4 meters, a width of up to 6.6 meters and thus an area of over 100 square meters. If required, some of the individual boxes can even be joined together.
The upper floor of the pit building is home to Bull's Lane, a restaurant known for its high quality and an excellent view onto the race track. The Styrian grandstand is also freely accessible during the entire event, so you can watch the action at its best. There are also plenty of power points in the paddock, and after a long day on the track you can look forward to hot showers in the spacious shower rooms in the basement of the pit building. The sanitary facilities are cleaned and maintained around the clock.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
...the conversion of the T2 corner into a chicane provides an additional element of excitement but also means an increase in overall safety. The chicane, a fluid right-left combination, was officially inaugurated at the Motorcycle Grand Prix in August 2022.
...the icon of the Red Bull Ring is the gigantic bull. The steel monument in the middle of the race track was completed in 2012 after one and a half years of construction. The entire sculpture, including the curve, reaches a height of 17.2 meters and weighs 68 tons. The foundation for the bull is formed by 44 tons of steel cast in 950 tons of concrete.
...during the absence of the premier class, motorcycle riders were the main source of racing action at the Österreichring. In the Superbike World Championship in 1993, local hero Andreas Meklau was one of the last private riders to win his first and only World Championship. He also achieved all three of his other podium finishes on home soil.
...the first race in the region was held at the military airfield in Zeltweg in 1957. It was a race for sports cars, prototypes and motorcycles. The first world championship race was held there in 1964. At that time, the track was 3.2 km long and 105 (!) laps were required.
...the opening of the Österreichring in 1969 meant the end of racing on the bumpy track at Zeltweg airfield, which was unpopular amongst riders. The circuit was officially put into operation with the 1000-kilometer race. Victory went to Joseph Siffert and Kurt Ahrens in a Porsche 917, while a name that was still unknown at the time appeared in eighth place overall - Helmut Marko.
