Austrian Grand Prix 2025 Preview – Everything You Need to Know

Image source – Formula One

I’m back with another preview. This week, we’re back in Spielberg for the Austrian Grand Prix, held at the Red Bull Ring. The circuit is 4.318 km long, and the race will run for 71 laps, covering a total distance of 306.45 km. With 3 DRS zones (practically guaranteed wheel-on-wheel action) and just 10 corners, the layout looks simple on paper, but it challenges drivers in different ways. The corners are mostly medium to high speed, and the track is rear-limited, which puts extra stress on the tires across a race distance.

The surface is abrasive, and combined with a 63.5 m elevation change, tire management becomes a key part of the weekend. Someone, please, save Max. Downforce levels are moderate here, and track evolution is fairly steady through the sessions. The tire selection is the same as last year, C3 (2 sets), C4 (3 sets), and C5 (8 sets, plus one extra for Q3). Teams also have 4 sets of intermediates and 3 sets of wets available, just in case the weather shifts, which it probably won’t (weather breakdown ahead). And with a 64% safety car chance, the strategy will need to stay flexible. I’m talking to you, Ferrari.

Image source – Motor Authority

The Austrian Grand Prix is Red Bull Racing’s home race. It’s also one of the three home races for Max Verstappen, along with the Dutch and Belgian GP. This is one of the shortest tracks on the calendar in terms of distance and corner count, with just 10 turns. It runs clockwise and holds the record for the most consecutive DRS zones in F1, back-to-back straights that keep the racing tight and fast.

This weekend, we will see two rookies step into FP1: Alex Dunne will fill in for Lando Norris at McLaren, and Dino Beganovic will take Charles Leclerc’s place at Ferrari. For those of you who don’t know, it’s part of an F1 rule that requires teams to give rookie drivers two FP1 outings during the season. These sessions are key for giving potential future drivers a feel for the car, especially since F2 machinery is quite different. And for the first time since 2021, this won’t be a sprint weekend. The race weekend kicks off on June 27th with FP1 and FP2 sessions, followed by FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, the 28th. The main race is the 44th Austrian National Car Race and the 38th running of the Austrian Grand Prix and takes place on Sunday, June 29th.

History of The Austrian GP

Here is a little history lesson for ya. The first Austrian F1 GP took place in 1964 and was won by Lorenzo Bandini in a Ferrari. And something you might not know is that the race was held on the Zeltweg airfield circuit and not the Red Bull Ring, which was a base of the Austrian Air Force. The track only had four corners, and it’s the shortest circuit (3.186 km or 1.98 miles) in the history of Formula 1.

Expected Temperature

Friday – FP1 and FP2

minimum expected temperature- 28 degrees Celsius

minimum expected temperature- 15 degrees Celsius

Chance of rain: 20%

Saturday – FP3 and Qualification

minimum expected temperature- 29 degrees Celsius

minimum expected temperature- 15 degrees Celsius

Chance of rain: 0%

Sunday – Race

minimum expected temperature- 30 degrees Celsius

minimum expected temperature- 15 degrees Celsius

Chance of rain: Less than 20%

Upgrades

Austria and Silverstone are usually when we start seeing bigger upgrade packages roll out across the grid. But don’t expect every team to show up with them this weekend. From what’s floating around, Aston Martin, Sauber, Williams, Racing Bulls, Alpine, and Haas are either holding off or planning to bring their next batch of upgrades to Silverstone. Nothing’s officially confirmed for most of them yet, but that’s the expectation. Red Bull, though, will be bringing something to Austria. Helmut Marko’s already confirmed this and has remarked that if this package slows them down, they’ll be in trouble. And McLaren seems to be quite in the talks lately, though I personally think their bigger upgrades might land in Silverstone instead of this weekend.

What we do know is that Ferrari and Mercedes are both coming in with updates. Ferrari’s package could be a new floor or possibly a fast-tracked rear suspension upgrade. They do need this upgrade, in my opinion, to overtake Mercedes in the Constructors standings before it’s too late. As for Mercedes, they’ve confirmed a performance upgrade is coming. The exact details are still under wraps, but anything that helps them keep this recent momentum going will be worth watching.

Drama on da Grid! What to Watch Out For This Week

Image source- Formula One

Like I said, the three consecutive DRS zones at the Red Bull Ring always bring a ton of dramaaaa. It’s one of those tracks where overtaking too early can actually backfire, pass someone in the first DRS zone, and you might find them right back ahead by the third. Plus, with the most elevation change over a single lap in F1, there’s always some added unpredictability in how cars handle across the circuit.

Red Bull has been seriously strong here over the years. They’ve won 5 of the last 9 races at their home track. They’re bringing upgrades this weekend, which should give them a boost when they need it most. This could be their shot at climbing back to the top, especially since they’ve dropped to fourth in the Constructors’ standings.

And if history tells us anything, this track doesn’t know how to stay calm. Last year’s race gave us the Max and Lando clash that handed the win to George. In 2022, Carlos’s Ferrari literally caught fire. Back in 2019, Max and Charles gave us one of the best battles of the season. Austria always delivers some sort of chaos, and with this field, there’s no reason to expect anything less.

Driver’s Standing Ahead Of The Austrian GP 2025

Can Mercedes keep up their pace? Can Lando recover from Montreal? Can Red Bull dominate their home race again? We’ll have to wait and watch. Let me know your predictions for the race in the comments!