Red Bull Ring (Austria)

SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 22: a general view of the grid and grandstand before the start of the Austrian Formula One Grand Prix at Red Bull Ring on June 22, 2014 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Track name: Red Bull Ring
Times the race has been held here: 10
First GP: 1997, won by Jacques Villeneuve
Total number of race laps: 71
Complete race distance: 020 kilometers (190.773 miles)
Pit lane speed limit: 80 kph (50 mph)
Pitlane length: 242m, estimated time loss 20s
2016 winner: Lewis Hamilton, 71 laps, 1:27:38.107
2016 pole position: Lewis Hamilton - 1:07.922
2016 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, 1:08.411.
Most wins (driver): Nico Rosberg/Michael Schumacher/Mika Hakkinen - 2
Most wins(team): Mercedes/McLaren/Ferrari - 3
Lap record: Michael Schumacher – Ferrari – 2003 – 1:08.337
Smallest winning margin: 0.050s, in 1982.
Circuit Length: 4.326km/2.688-mile
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 9
Distance to Turn 1 : 185m
Longest straight: 868m, on the approach to Turn One
Fastest corner: 220km/h, Turn Eight
Slowest corner: 75km/h, Turn Two
Top Speed: 310km/h, on the approach to Turn One
Full throttle: 66%
DRS Zones: Two, on the approaches to Turns One and Three
Key Corner: Turn Nine, a tricky right-hander to end the lap.
Fuel consumption: 1.7kg per lap, making it relatively high for a track with only nine corners
ERS Demands: High. The short lap provides few opportunities to recover the permitted 2mj of energy
Brake wear: Medium. There are only three significant braking events
Gear changes: 54 per lap /3,834 per race
Safety car likelihood: Low, due to the large run-off areas.
Tyre choices: Soft, Supersoft, Ultrasoft
Weather: Hot (30) and sunny
Chance of rain: 23%
Grip levels: Average. The majority of the asphalt was laid in 1997
Run off: Plentiful with a mix of gravel and asphalt

A lap around the Red Bull Ring

You start with big braking into turn one, a 90-degree corner. It’s very important to go early on the power. There’s then a long straight line going up to turn two where you brake very late into the corner, and there’s a change of camber. You go flat again after that to turn three. Again, tricky braking there as you’re going downhill. Then you’ve got a double-left corner, medium- to high-speed turns. The last couple of turns are the same as you go up the hill and then down again. It can be pretty tricky, but if you get the grip under the car and a good balance, it can be a lot of fun to drive.