Official F1® email newsletter One of the most historic races on the current schedule (only eight others can claim earlier inclusion on the calendar), the Austrian Grand Prix is one of those events that genuinely stirs the senses.



Perhaps it’s the beautifully rural, mountain-side location of the Red Bull Ring or maybe it’s the fact that that despite circuit changes we’re still on the site of the legendary Österreichring but the circuit possesses a genuine old-school feel that harks back to the golden age of grand prix racing in the best way possible – e.g. the atmosphere not the facilities. Indeed, the fact that the track is owned by Red Bull means that everything works a lot better than it did back in 1970, when the second incarnation of the race began after the single event at Zeltweg airfield in 1964.



Given the number of Austrians in positions of influence in F1 from Toto Wolff to Dietrich Mateschitz and beyond, you might think this is a nation with a fundamental understanding of how the sport works. To find out, we questioned one famously frank and legendary local. The answer, as you’ll see, was typically to the point.



Elsewhere, we look at some of the key stats you’ll need to know ahead of this weekend’s 30th Austrian Grand Prix and we take a slightly unusual look back at last year’s visit to the pastures of Styria. Enjoy it and this weekend’s race. Race Programme



You can read the Official Race Programme for the Austrian Grand Prix for free online.



Simply click on the cover image to view the publication. I think you'll find... Everyone loves a good race stat, an obscure trivia bomb with which to stun even the most numerically obsessed F1 colleague. No problem, from Abecassis to Zunino and the A1 Ring to Zolder we’ve got you covered. This time we head for rarefied statmosphere of the Styrian Mountains, home to the Red Bull Ring and the Austrian Grand Prix.

1 Career podium place for Briton Bob Anderson, scored at the first and only Austrian GP to be held at Zeltweg Airfield in 1964. Anderson, who also raced grand prix motorcyles, scoring three podiums between 1958 and 1960, made his F1 debut at the 1963 British GP and started a further 24 GPs before his untimely death following an testing accident in 1967.

3 Third place in the 2014 race represented a first career podium finish for Valtteri Bottas. Then driving for Williams, the Finn also scored his first front row starts that year with P2 on the grid.

5 Austrian GP podium appearances for David Coulthard. The Scot has tasted champagne in Styria more than any other driver. Even more impressive the podiums were a back-to-back quintet from 1997-2001 and all were second places until 2001 when he secured victory.

5 Drivers have scored their first win in Austria. Lorenzo Bandini won at Zeltweg in 1964, and the Österreichring saw maiden wins for Vittorio Brambilla 1975, John Watson in 1976, Alan Jones in 1977 and Elio de Angelis in 1982. The Red Bull Ring has yet to see a first-time GP winner top the podium. In fact the circuit so christened has yet to see anyone other than a Mercedes driver win!

2059 Days between pole positions for Felipe Massa when he took the number one spot on the grid in 2014 for Williams. Prior to his Red Bull Ring pole his last had been at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix. That’s 5 years, 7 months and 21 days.

It might get Lauda The triple world champion and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team non-executive director is not known for holding back on an opinion. He ran true to form when quizzed about his upcoming home race. Formula One is awash with Austrians in high places – there’s you, Toto Wolff, Franz Tost, Dietrich Mateschitz, Gerhard Berger, Alex Wurz. Why are Austrians so good at the business of F1?



Bullshit. It’s total coincidence. Gerhard, Alex and myself are only here because we were drivers. Some stayed and some didn't. We chose to stay. Austrians cannot do anything better than anyone else.



That clears that up! What about your own memories of the Austrian Grand Prix? You had three pole positions at the Österreichring between 1974 and 1977, and of course you won here in 1984.



I know that in 1984 to win the race in Austria was important because Alain Prost crashed, I won the race and then I went on to win the championship by half a point. At that Austrian race I also had a gearbox problem and I was really lucky to finish ahead of Nelson Piquet, so I think that race was the most important one for me to win that championship.



Is it true Piquet was confused by what you were doing in the race, that he thought it was tactical?



Yes, he thought I was playing around. Mostly because I told him that on the podium. I just said “I was just messing with you”. I’m not sure he liked it.

What was the old Österreichring like? Was it as daunting as people say?



It was very good. A fantastic, quick circuit, I liked it a lot. It was a good place. It wasn’t that tough physically but to drive it well you really needed to be switched on. The current circuit is still good. Thank God for Red Bull – otherwise we wouldn’t have a race there at all. The Austrian race was like Monza or Spa, like Monte Carlo, it was part of the heritage of the sport, especially since the time of [Jochen] Rindt. For the sport, it’s very good to have it back.



How important is it for a driver to win his home grand prix?



It was nice but, generally, I didn’t care at all which races I won, because you have to win them all if you want to be world champion. They all carry the same value. OK, to win your home grand does carry a little more worth than others but a home race is also always more work for a driver because your are the focus of attention and there are always more people wanting to ask stupid questions.



Sorry about that. Here's a final one. Is the Austrian Grand Prix fun for you now or does the increase in attention you get and the amount of stupid questions fired your way make it a less enjoyable race?



No, I enjoy it very much, because for me there’s hardly any travel to get there. I can be at home, get in my plane and fly there in 15 minutes instead of hours. I like it because it’s home and I like what Red Bull have done with it. It’s a good race.

Frame and Shame Last year’s Austrian Grand Prix featured moments of intense drama in which passions ran high followed by episodes of recrimination and regret. And that’s just this photo retrospective.

Jenson couldn’t believe his ears as Fernando explained the weird dream he’d had the night before. “The only thing I remember was I was in America and you were peeing in my car.”

Claire couldn't believe that Christian could still fit into his school uniform. Toto knew Maurizio was talking to him but he just couldn’t focus on anything other than the amazing way in which the Ferrari boss’ headphones seemed to be attached to his neck. The mechanics weren’t going to be pleased but Felipe knew that when a little boy has to go, he has to go.

The secret to Nico’s 2016 title – total, almost telepathic levels of communication. Here, Nico and one of his engineers wordlessly work through a session debrief: “Nico, mate, get us a coffee would you?” “Sure. With biscuits?” Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Forward to a friend