Salzburgring

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

The Salzburgring opened in 1969 in the Nesselgraben valley at Plainfeld, about 15 km east of Salzburg, and it hosted the Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix for many years. It's a simple shape, essentially two long straights joined by a hairpin at the top and a fast sweeper at the bottom, with chicanes added for safety. The 4,255-metre lap has 12 corners, and the start-finish straight alone is around 750 metres. Height change is modest at roughly 22 metres, but with steep wooded hills either side, the setting is the best part of the trip.

It's a busy track day venue, with plenty of car days and a lot of bike days and training. Because the lap is short on corners and long on straights, it's easy to learn and suits novices, but the high speeds on the straights and through the Fahrerlagerkurve mean powerful cars and bikes can still find their limits. Being a valley, noise rules are a big deal, and limits change from day to day.

A lap of Salzburgring

Layout: Salzburgring, 4.255 km (2.64 miles)

From the start-finish straight you arrive at the chicane after the line, which is the tightest and slowest point of the lap. It's also narrow, so the key is to brake late but accurately and keep the car dead straight while you do it. Lock up here and you'll go straight over the kerbs. Get a tidy exit and then it's a long run up the valley.

At the top is the Nockstein-Kehre, a wide 180-degree hairpin on a slight rise. It's often underestimated because it looks simple. Think slow in, fast out: position the car early, get the rotation done, then get back on the power as soon as you can, because the next straight is a long one.

The back straight (Gegengerade) is the main overtaking place and isn't quite straight, but it's more a series of gentle bends than corners. Follow the line closely, keep steering inputs to a minimum and you'll stay flat. At the end of it is the Fahrerlagerkurve, the paddock turn, a fast sweeping corner at the bottom of the valley and the big test of the lap. The line goes from the far left to the far right and back out to the left. It takes commitment, and it's where the quick drivers and riders gain most of their time.

The final section is the chicane before the start-finish line, effectively three corners in a left-right-left. Brake hard for the first part, use the kerbs, and aim to get on the power in one go onto the straight. Coming in too fast to the first left is the classic mistake, because it ruins your exit and costs speed the whole way down the 750-metre straight.

Track day tips

• Noise limits vary from day to day here, from strict to 105 dB on some test days. Check the figure for your event before you book.
• There's often a midday engine shutdown, so plan your lunch around it and use it to walk the track or check the car over.
• The Fahrerlagerkurve is very fast and comes at the end of a long straight. Build up to it over a few sessions rather than trying to be brave on lap one.
• The long straights are hard on engines and cooling. Watch your oil and water temperatures, especially on hot days.
• Alpine valley weather can change quickly, even in summer. Bring wets or decent road tyres and something warm for the paddock.
• Fuel and food are easy to find in Salzburg, but stock up before you head up the valley.

Getting there

The Salzburgring is roughly 1,100 km from Calais, via Belgium and Germany through Cologne, Frankfurt and Munich, so most UK visitors take two days to drive it. Leave the A1 at Thalgau and follow the signs for the Salzburgring via the B158, or come off the A10 at Hallein. You'll need an Austrian motorway vignette. Salzburg airport is only about half an hour away and has regular UK flights, and Munich is another option. Salzburg has hotels of every kind, and there are quieter guesthouses around Thalgau, Hof and Fuschl am See.