The Austrian Grand Prix has had a host of repeat winners since F1’s first visit in 1964, including at the Red Bull Ring since 2014, so here are the most successful drivers yet.
F1 seldom saw drivers secure repeat wins at the Austrian GP during the early editions of the race. Ronnie Peterson only became the pinnacle of motorsport’s first repeat winner in Styria come the 1978 edition driving for Lotus as the Swede added to his earlier victory from 1973.
More recent seasons, on the other hand, have seen drivers dominate at the Red Bull Ring or back in the A1-Ring era. The shortened circuit Hermann Tilke designed to address the safety issues that saw Formula 1 leave the Osterreichring left a kinder circuit for the series’ return.
Max Verstappen is the most successful F1 driver at the Austrian GP
Of the eight repeat winners of the Austrian GP so far, five have been since Formula 1 revived the race in 1997. Before then, Alain Prost stood atop the leaderboard with three wins racing for Renault in 1983 and McLaren in 1985 plus 1986. But Max Verstappen has now taken P1.
Topping the 2023 Austrian GP podium for Red Bull at the circuit the team’s parent company owns saw Verstappen become the race’s most successful Formula 1 driver. It was his fourth win in the Styrian mountains, double the tally that Michael Schumacher held at the A1-Ring.
READ MORE: Five unforgettable Austrian GP races including Hamilton vs Rosberg in 2016
Even Lewis Hamilton has only won the Austrian GP once, despite seeing Nico Rosberg win it in 2014 and 2015 plus Valtteri Bottas in 2017 and 2020 whilst his teammate at Mercedes. He took the Briton’s sole win in Styria so far in 2016 after colliding with Rosberg on the final lap.
The Austrian GP has seen eight repeat winners as a Formula 1 race all-time
The Austrian GP has even proven to be a worldwide affair with six nationalities covering the eight repeat winners. Just Germany and Finland has produced more than one repeat winner in Rosberg and Schumacher for the former plus Bottas and Mika Hakkinen for the latter yet.
The F1 Austrian GP has seen five repeat winners at the A1-Ring or Red Bull Ring
Prost, Peterson and Alan Jones secured their Austrian GP wins around the Osterreichring. F1 left the circuit after Nigel Mansell won the 1987 edition owing to safety concerns after a raft of incidents, including a deer entering the circuit during the final running of the round there.
Tilke would remove the most dangerous corners of the Osterreichring to create the A1-Ring. Drivers seldom had to dip below third gear at the old layout but tighter corners for what are now Turns 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 have seen more drivers rise to the top step over multiple visits.
The post Which F1 drivers do well at Austrian GP with Max Verstappen successful in Styria appeared first on F1 Oversteer.