The Red Bull Ring will continue to host the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix until at least 2027 following the signing of a new contract between F1 and the race promoter.
Formula 1 is set to continue racing at the Red Bull Ring until 2027. The news follows the signing of a new deal between F1 and the race promoter, Projekt Spielberg. It was previously unknown exactly how long the Red Bull Ring’s contract to remain on the F1 calendar lasted, though many speculated that this year’s race would be the last under the existing contract. With a four-year contract extension signed, it confirms that the current agreement ended in 2023.
The Red Bull Ring returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2014, having last hosted the Austrian Grand Prix in 2003, when it was known as the A1-Ring. The track first appeared on the schedule in 1970, when it was named the Österreichring and featured a much longer circuit layout.
The venue is owned by Red Bull, the energy drink brand which – of course – owns the Red Bull Racing F1 team. Speaking about the new contract, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali paid tribute to Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who passed away in 2022 and was a driving force behind F1’s return to Austria:
“The Austrian Grand Prix brings together the perfect mix of a challenging track, high-speed racing, and a beautiful venue for our fans, so I am delighted that we will be coming back to the Red Bull Ring until at least 2027 under this new agreement.
As we celebrate the 10th year since our return to Spielberg, I would like to thank everyone involved in this renewal, especially the promoter and Red Bull and I want to pay tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz for the love, passion, and vision he brought to Formula 1 that has ensured the continued success of the event and the huge enthusiasm for our sport in Austria and around the world.”
Attendance figures on the rise at the Austrian Grand Prix
Since re-joining the F1 calendar in 2014, the Red Bull Ring has hosted 11 races. In 2020, Formula 1 returned from its coronavirus-enforced break at the track, with the Austrian Grand Prix becoming the season-opening race. The sport held another race at the Red Bull Ring one week later, with the Styrian Grand Prix taking place on the same track layout as the Austrian Grand Prix.
The venue hosted two races once more in 2021, with the Styrian Grand Prix run for a second time following the cancellation of the Canadian Grand Prix. It had been hoped that the Turkish Grand Prix would replace the Montreal race on the schedule, but travel restrictions led to the Istanbul race being postponed.
The Austrian Grand Prix has enjoyed strong attendance figures in recent years, partly thanks to the rise of Dutch driver, and Red Bull star, Max Verstappen. Weekend attendance reached a new high of 303,000 in 2022. It was the tenth-best attended race of last season. The previous full-capacity race in 2019 had attracted a weekend attendance of 203,000, meaning that the figure grew by 49% in 2022 – one of the largest attendance growths of any race on the schedule.
Disappointingly, the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix came under media scrutiny following multiple reports of fan abuse and harassment trackside at the Red Bull Ring. Formula 1 released a statement following the allegations, saying that they had “raised this with the promoter and security and will be speaking to those who have reported these incidents and are taking this very seriously”.
Tickets sold out for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix
Tickets for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix are now mostly sold out, having gone on sale just after last year’s race in July 2022. Ticket packages for the race weekend remain available via F1 Experiences, Formula 1’s official ticket package partner. Premium packages feature all-inclusive hospitality and insider access to exclusive paddock tours and meet-and-greets with famous faces from the world of F1.
The 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, which takes place on June 30 – July 2, is one of six races this season which will utilise the Sprint format. An additional 30-minute sprint race will be held on Saturday afternoon to decide the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The sprint format proved a success when it made its first appearance at the track in 2022.
Aside from the F1 action, Formula 2, Formula 3 and the Porsche Supercup will all be racing over the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix. Learn more about attending the race in our extensive Austrian Grand Prix travel guide.
