The Austrian Grand Prix is set to remain on the Formula 1 calendar until 2030, with a contract extension having been agreed between the Red Bull Ring and F1. The deal further extends a four-year renewal confirming the race from 2024 to 2027 that was announced earlier this year. In a statement announcing the new deal, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali paid tribute to the late Dietrich Mateschitz, whose Red Bull concern purchased the circuit in 2004, and who was instrumental in F1 returning to Austria in 2014 after an 11-year absence from the calendar. "I am delighted to announce this news with our exceptional partners in Austria," said Domenicali. "The vision and passion of Dietrich Mateschitz, a man who loved this sport, made this all possible and it is a very special moment and a tribute to him that we can confirm we will be racing at this incredible venue until 2030. "The race in Austria is a big favourite for the drivers and all our fans and we are looking forward to many years of excitement and action that are ahead of us."
The history of F1 in Austria
The Austrian Grand Prix first featured in the F1 World Championship in 1964, with a race at the repurposed Zeltweg Airfield. From 1970 to 1987, the Grand Prix was run at the ultra-fast Osterreichring, before concerns over safety saw the event dropped. In 1997, the Austrian Grand Prix returned at a totally rebuilt facility now known as the A1-Ring, on a shorter layout incorporating some of the original Osterreichring circuit. It was a mainstay on the F1 calendar until 2003. After several more years in the F1 wilderness, the Austrian Grand Prix returned in 2014 after Red Bull had purchased the circuit and updated its facilities, and the race is now set to stay on the F1 calendar for at least the next seven years.
A push for 'destination cities'
News of Austria's extension comes despite F1's recent push towards 'destination cities', with an increasing number of races taking place on city streets in territories that are new to F1. 2023 sees the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and with the calendar ever increasing in size, there is growing pressure on more traditional circuit-based events in Europe. The French Grand Prix has been dropped for this year, and there have been rumours that events such as the Dutch and Belgian Grands Prix may in future run only in alternate years, as F1 seeks to grow the sport beyond its traditional European heartlands.
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