The Red Bull Ring, known originally as the Österreichring, is Austria’s most important circuit and home of the Austrian Grand Prix. It opened in 1969 to replace Zeltweg Airfield circuit, just 1.5 km to the south, which had fallen out of favour.

With a fast and flowing layout, and elevation change of 65 m, the Österreichring quickly became popular with drivers, but its speed also made it dangerous– especially with barriers in places close to the track.

In other places barriers were absent altogether, with grassy banks instead slowing any cars which fell off the circuit.

With safety in mind,a chicane was added at the first corner for 1977, and after the track was dropped from the 1988 Formula One calendar, further changes were made.

The Bosch Kurve was tightened slightly to allow for run-off on the outside of the corner, and the main straight widened by three metres, but even this wasn’t enough and F1 stayed away for nine years, the main event in the mid-1990s falling to the German Super Tourenwagen Cup (STW).

In this time, plans were drawn up with renowned architect Hermann Tilke for a radically revamped circuit. Known then as the A1-Ring thanks to the source of financial backing, the new circuit shortened and dramatically altered the feel of the track, opening in 1996.

By 2004 the circuit had lost its slot on the F1 calendar, and ownership transferred to Red Bull, which quickly renamed the circuit. The old pit buildings and grandstands were demolished in 2004, but it took until 2010 for new facilities to be built, after an initial plan to redevelop the old, fast circuit was blocked by government.

The Red Bull Ring reopened in 2011, with DTM quickly announcing a race, followed by F1 in 2014. The layout of the reopened circuit was, however, identical to that of the 1996 A1-Ring.