Red Bull Ring

The Red Bull Ring produces the shortest lap times of the season — under 65 seconds in qualifying trim — from a circuit of just ten corners set in the Styrian mountains. It is the third incarnation of motor racing at Spielberg, following the fearsome Österreichring used until 1987 and the shortened A1-Ring of 1997 to 2003.

What the lap lacks in corners it makes up for in elevation. The climb from turn one to turn three gains around 65 metres, and the run back down through the final sector is fast enough that small mistakes cost significant time. Three heavy braking zones — turns one, three and four — give it more genuine overtaking opportunities than most short circuits, and the DRS zones on the two uphill straights make position changes routine.

Because laps are so short, traffic in qualifying is a persistent problem, and races here frequently see the entire field covered by a single lap well into the second stint. Track limits at the exits of turns nine and ten have been a recurring source of penalties.