Austrian Grand Prix: Race Preview

The Austrian Grand Prix was first run in 1964, on a basic layout at Zeltweg Airport, and it was a further six years before the event was revived at the permanent Österreichring. The fast and flowing circuit sliced its way through the verdant Austrian countryside and featured through 1987, before returning in 1997 in shortened form at the rebranded A1-Ring. The circuit fell into disrepair in the mid-2000s before it was revived by late Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who transformed the landscape into one of Austria’s leading sports facilities. The renamed Red Bull Ring was reborn, and Formula 1 returned to Austria in 2014, while last year a long-term contract was signed which confirmed the event’s future through into the early 2040s.

The Red Bull Ring includes only 10 labeled corners across its 2.7-mile layout, and with lap times of approximately 65 seconds, it’s the track with the shortest lap time on the calendar. That means that come qualifying, several rows on the grid can be covered by just a couple of tenths of a second, and therefore even a minor slip-up can have far-reaching consequences.

TGR Haas F1 Team Reserve Driver Ryō Hirakawa will participate in Free Practice 1, driving Esteban Ocon’s VF-26. Hirakawa participated in four practice sessions with TGR Haas F1 Team in 2025, and his outing on Friday will be his first of 2026 as part of the regulation regarding rookie drivers in FP1.

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal:

“Despite frustrations with our results in the past two events, the benefit of this part of the season is the volume of races we have in a relatively short period of time. We’re heading into another double-header with Austria and Great Britain back-to-back. Obviously, they’re two very different circuits but both offer us an opportunity to further develop our understanding of the VF-26. We’re going to get Ryō in the car for FP1 in Austria, so it’ll be good to get his feedback as he hasn’t driven the VF-26 yet. He’s coming to us fresh from a Le Mans podium in WEC with Toyota, which was great to see, and he’s been a key part of our TPC program again this season. As I said though, we’re really looking forward to the next few weeks with four races in five weekends. We’re going to be kept extremely busy but that’s the challenge. It’s imperative we keep pushing to be better operationally and deliver the kind of results we know we’re capable of. Having scored points in four of the first five events this season, we need to find that level of consistency again.”

Ryō Hirakawa:

“Firstly, I’d like to thank TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and TGR Haas F1 Team for this opportunity. It’s going to be my first FP1 session of the season, and it’s been awhile since I’ve driven around the Red Bull Ring. I think it’s the perfect track for me to drive the VF-26 for the first time because it has everything – straight lines as well as low- and high-speed corners, so it's going to be a fun experience. I’m really excited and I can’t wait to get in there as a 60-minute practice session is so short. The aim is to get used to the car as fast as possible and to collect as much data so I can support the team in the best way I can.”

Ollie Bearman:

“As we get into the final two double-headers before the break, there’s a lot we as a team need to accomplish before we can leave for summer satisfied. These are tracks we all have a lot of experience at, so we must come into each weekend knowing our targets and put quite simply, meet them. I know everyone is working incredibly hard, I can feel we’re learning and understanding more each day, it’s just about putting it all together consistently. The Red Bull Ring is a fun track to drive, it’s one of the fastest of the year, not to mention the scenery is a standout part of the weekend – we don’t race anywhere prettier.”

Esteban Ocon:

“It’s good to be back racing in Austria, one of the classic tracks on the calendar. The Red Bull Ring has a good flow of corners with big undulations, and it’s a pleasure to drive. The atmosphere in the Austrian countryside is also pretty special, and the fans always show some good support. We’ve prepared well for this weekend, working with the engineers and being in the simulator. We know we’ll have to start the weekend strong, execute cleanly, and build up well to qualifying and the race.”