Red Bull Ring

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

The Red Bull Ring sits in a green bowl of hills near Spielberg in Styria. The original Österreichring opened here in 1969, was cut down into the A1-Ring in 1996, and was rebuilt and reopened by Red Bull in 2011. Today's 4.326 km Grand Prix lap has only ten corners, but it climbs and falls by 65 metres, with gradients of up to 12 per cent, so it feels much bigger than the corner count suggests.

It's a long way from the UK, but it's on plenty of bucket lists, and with the alpine scenery it makes a good road trip. German and Austrian organisers run open car days, there are regular bike days, and KTM run X-Bow days here too. The lap is easy to learn, with a few big braking zones and long, fast corners, so it suits intermediate drivers and riders. The gravel traps on the second half of the lap mean it punishes mistakes, though, so novices should take tuition.

A lap of Red Bull Ring

Layout: Grand Prix, 4.326 km (2.69 miles)

Out of the last corner you climb the pit straight to Turn 1, the Niki Lauda Kurve, an uphill right that you can take with a decent amount of speed. Use all the exit kerb, because a long, steep drag up the hill follows, with only a slight left kink (the motorcycle layout puts the Münzer chicane here instead). At the top is Turn 3, a tight uphill right hairpin and the biggest stop of the lap. The slope helps you slow down, so you can brake later than your instincts say, but don't overdo it and run wide on the exit.

Then the road drops downhill to Turn 4, the Rauch corner, a long right with gravel on the outside for anyone who arrives too fast. Carrying good speed here matters, as it leads onto the run down to the lefts.

Turns 5 and 6 are the best part of the lap, a pair of fast left-handers with a blind entry into the first. Get the line right and use the kerbs on the exits, and the two effectively become one long, quick corner. They're also where people lose it, either by turning in too early on the blind entry or getting greedy on the kerb.

The second half of the lap is made up of medium and high-speed corners lined with gravel. Turn 7, the Graz corner, is a long right that needs patience before you get back on the power, and Turn 8 leads you towards the final pair. Turn 9, the Jochen Rindt Kurve, is a quick downhill right, and Turn 10 is the last right-hander onto the pit straight. Commit to both, but don't drop a wheel off the exit kerbs, because a good run here sets you up for the climb to Turn 1.

Track day tips

• You'll need an Austrian motorway vignette to drive on the autobahn here, so buy one before you cross the border.
• The uphill stop for Turn 3 helps you brake late, but it also makes it easy to overcook the entry. Work up to it.
• The gravel traps on the second half of the lap catch people out. Treat Turns 5, 6 and 9 with respect until you know them.
• The ring is in the mountains, so the weather can turn quickly. Pack wets or good road tyres and a waterproof.
• Pistenclub car days run to 98 dB(A). Check your car is well inside it before the long drive down.
• The steep straights and short lap mean the brakes don't get much time to cool. Watch for fade and consider an extra cool-down lap.

Getting there

Spielberg is roughly 1,300 km from Calais, so it's a two-day drive for most, through Belgium and Germany via Munich and Salzburg. The circuit is just off the S36 Murtal expressway near Knittelfeld, which links to the A9 Pyhrn motorway. Graz is the closest airport at about an hour away, but UK flights there are limited, so Vienna and Salzburg, both with regular UK services, are the usual choices. Spielberg, Knittelfeld and Judenburg have hotels and guesthouses, but they fill up early around the big race weekends.