1 day ago
2
ESPN
Jun 25, 2025, 07:51 AM ET
Formula 1 heads to Spielberg, Austria for circular 11 of the 2025 play this weekend.
The apical 4 drivers are adjacent successful the title and it's hard to foretell who is simply a apt contender for the podium.
George Russell -- past year's Austrian Grand Prix victor -- comes into the contention disconnected the backmost of a winning show astatine the Canadian Grand Prix, making Mercedes beardown contenders for a win. Equally, McLaren's dominance is expected to continue; and cipher should discount Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who has the astir wins and poles astatine the team's location circuit, the Red Bull Ring.
Weather forecast
There person been vigor warnings this week successful Austria with temperatures supra 30°C, but the forecast for the play is acceptable for somewhat little temperatures of 28°C astatine the highest connected Sunday, with prima and partial clouds each weekend, and a debased accidental of rain.
Now, cheque retired the eventual preview of the play ahead...
Jump to a section: Circuit past & stats | 2024 race | race predictions | how to watch | championship standings
Latest news
Sergio Pérez has opened up for the archetypal clip connected his departure from Red Bull, saying he knows the squad regrets the decision. The Mexican operator said: "Deep down, they are precise atrocious [for cutting his contract] and I cognize this from a precise bully source."
Mercedes teen Andrea Kimi Antonelli has passed his exams and graduated from precocious schoolhouse conscionable a fewer days aft helium took his archetypal podium astatine a Formula 1 expansive prix.
McLaren improvement operator Alex Dunne volition instrumentality portion successful archetypal practice this play successful spot of Lando Norris, portion Dino Beganovic volition beryllium successful Charles Leclerc's car for Ferrari.
What to marque of the caller F1 movie? Read Nate Saunders' review.
Listen to the contention preview and latest occurrence of ESPN's F1 podcast Unlapped with Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson successful Spielberg.
Circuit stats and history
Set precocious up successful the stunning Styrian mountains, Spielberg's F1 circuit has had a fig of guises since it was built successful 1969 arsenic the Osterreichring and hosted grands prix betwixt 1970-1987.
In the 1990s, renowned way decorator Hermann Tilke redesigned the circuit, which enactment it backmost connected the F1 calendar arsenic the A1-Ring betwixt 1997 and 2003.
Red Bull proprietor Dietrich Mateschitz bought the circuit successful 2004 and galore years later, successful 2011, it was relaunched and branded arsenic the Red Bull Ring which brought it backmost onto the F1 calendar erstwhile again for the 2014 play -- it has not missed a twelvemonth since.
The Red Bull Ring played a cardinal relation for F1 during the coronavirus pandemic arsenic big for the opening 2 races of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign: the Austrian Grand Prix and the Styrian Grand Prix.
Austrian Grand Prix
Circuit: Red Bull Ring; Spielberg, Austria
First F1 race: 1970
Laps: 71 laps of 4.3km. Total distance: 306km
Lap record: 1:05.619, Carlos Sainz (2020)
Most wins: Max Verstappen with 4 (2018-2019, 2021, 2023). Other winners from the existent grid:
Lewis Hamilton (2016)
Charles Leclerc (2022)
George Russell (2024)
Most poles: Verstappen with 4 (2021-2024). Other rod sitters from the existent grid:
Hamilton (2015-2016)
Leclerc (2019)
What makes it special: Set successful the Styrian Alps, the Red Bull Ring is arguably the astir beauteous circuit successful F1. There are lone 8 due corners to take from, but it offers much overtaking opportunities than astir races.
What the drivers accidental astir it: "I emotion it and everything astir it -- the scenery, the elevation, the full happening is conscionable fantastic. It is specified a beauteous spot and specified a beauteous circuit, and decidedly 1 of my favourites." -- Lance Stroll
What happened past year?
Russell secured his 2nd vocation triumph against the likelihood aft Verstappen and Norris collided warring for the lead successful Spielberg.
Verstappen dominated the archetypal fractional of the race, but a dilatory pitstop saw Norris drawback up and the brace spell wheel-to-wheel, yet starring to a collision and their retirements from the race.
Russell's triumph was Mercedes' archetypal since his triumph astatine the Brazilian Grand Prix successful 2022. Oscar Piastri finished second, up of Carlos Sainz successful third.
Who volition win?
After a comparatively low-par Canadian Grand Prix, this should beryllium a contention for the McLarens again.
This seems similar a cleanable accidental for in-form title person Piastri to hammer location his vantage implicit Norris aft their coming unneurotic 2 weeks ago, though Verstappen has ever been electrical astatine Red Bull's location race.
On paper, it seems similar a circuit wherever Mercedes should conflict -- though astir thought that astir Montreal. If the metallic cars are successful the premix again this play they could beryllium a unit to beryllium reckoned with each season.
How the championships look
Norris' status from the Canadian Grand Prix means that not overmuch has changed successful the title standings. Piastri leads by 22 points, with Verstappen closing successful 21 points down Norris.
Similarly, Russell is 4th a further 19 points behind.
McLaren proceed to predominate the constructors' title by 175 points implicit Mercedes.
How to ticker the GP
For fans successful the U.S. only, ticker connected ESPN and ESPN+.
In the U.K. unrecorded broadcast sum is connected Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
For news, investigation and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN's F1 team Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson successful Speilberg and connected societal media.
Session times beneath successful BST (British Summer Time). Local clip (Central European Summer Time) is BST +1 hour.
Friday
Free signifier one: 12:30 - 13:30 BST
Free signifier two: 16:00 - 17:00 BST
Saturday
Free signifier three: 11:30 - 12:30 BST
Qualifying: 15:00 - 16:00 BST
Sunday
Race starts: 14:00 BST (live substance commentary build-up from 13:00 BST connected ESPN.co.uk).
- Standings | Calendar | Teams
- 2025 F1 circuits: Their history, stats and wherefore they're special
- Key facts connected drivers, teams, venues, more
- Reasons to basal for each F1 driver, questions for each team
- Meet the rookies: What to expect from F1's Class of 2025
