Visit the Austrian GP with the experts

In the 1950's enthusiasts created a track at Zeltweg airport in Spielberg. The track had bumpy runways marked out by straw bales and cones, typical of many tracks in Europe at that time. By the late 50s the track attracted races for international sports cars and a couple of Formula Two Champions rounds. However Formula 1 was the goal, and they organized a non-championship F1 race in the early 1960s, with the inaugural Austrian Grand Prix taking place one year later. Although the race was a success, the track was declared too bumpy and dangerous.

Austrian driver Jochen Rindt was making his way through the Formula 1 ranks and by the late 60s had gained superstar status as the number one driver for Colin Chapman's Team Lotus. Formula 1 and Rindt had become increasingly popular in Austria, and a new track was built in a natural basin within the scenic Styria Mountains near Zeltweg, named the Osterreichring. The second world championship Austrian Grand Prix took place at the super-fast circuit in 1970 and continued until 1987, when the turbo-powered cars produced 1,100 bhp and lapped at 159 mph in qualifying. The FIA declared it as too fast, so the circuit was deemed out of date for the turbo era.

By 1997 the track had been rebuilt by Herman Tilke to more modern standards and renamed the A1-Ring. It lasted six years, but after negative publicity in 2002 when Rubens Barrichello ceded the race to Michael Schumacher on team orders, crowds for 2003 dropped dramatically, and the 2004 race was cancelled. Red Bull bought the track and redesignated it as the Red Bull Ring, and brought the race back in 2014.

Graz is the second-largest city in Austria, and closest city of any size to the Red Bull Ring. At the heart of Graz is Hauptplatz, the medieval old town that is so spectacular that UNESCO declared the old town as a World Cultural Heritage site. Your hotel started as an 11th century palace which became a boutique hotel in 1997. The city's best restaurants and historic treasures are truly stunning, and are on the Hotel Zum Dom doorstep.

Within the Old Town are fortifications at Schlossberg Castle, where the Austrian line of the Habsburgs monarchy lived. The Habsburgs ruled Styria, Carinthia, Slovenia, and parts of Italy, from Graz. Their dynasty ruled Austria for 600 years, and ended in 1918 when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was disbanded at the end of WWI. The Habsburgs had built their empire by marrying the heiresses of other territories, most famously of Spain and the Netherlands. Successful in love but not war!

From the earliest days of the city, Graz was a place of learning, with its first university built in 1585. There now four universities, and the students enjoy the narrow streets and many cafes ensuring that the city stays young at heart. There are art galleries, great shopping, as well as excellent restaurants, and everywhere you look there are centuries of history around you.

Grand Prix Tours has offered Formula 1 and Historic events weekend experiences to race fans for over 30 years. Their inside connections allow them to get the best rooms and the best viewing locations available, along with their knowledge of the each event location you will be sure to have an experience of a life time and a hassle-free weekend. Call Grand Prix Tours today at 1 800 400 1998 for more information on the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix or visit their website at www.gptours.com to see all the weekend experiences they offer.

RACER's Formula 1 coverage is presented by Grand Prix Tours. Feel the power and the glory of Grand Prix racing now via Grand Prix Tours' Pick 8 competition.