After an 11-year absence, the Austrian Grand Prix makes a welcome return to the calendar in 2014 and Sky Sports F1 will be screening all the action exclusively live from round eight of the championship.
With its picturesque rolling hills, cow-dotted Alpine meadows and soaring mountain peaks, the Styria region of Austria does not immediately strike as a hub of motorsport, but for over 50 years this beautiful part of the country has been a mecca for Austrian race fans.
The last incarnation of the Austrian Grand Prix was held from 1997 to 2003 at the Spielberg circuit, which was then known as the A1 Ring, and it is to that venue that F1 heads once again.
While the now rechristened Red Bull Ring has seen major trackside updates since, including new grandstands and upgrades to the pits and paddock area, the track remains much as it was in 2003.
Formula 1 comeback to Austria for the first time since in over a decade promises to be a major event for Red Bull’s Austrian owner Dietrich Mateschitz, and not just because he now owns the circuit.
His team come into the weekend in resurgent mood after Daniel Ricciardo halted the Mercedes juggernaut by claiming his maiden win in a sensational Grand Prix in Montreal.
Two weeks on, the Australian will be doing everything to repeat that success – as will his team mate and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
One of the shortest on the calendar at just over two miles, the Red Bull Ring features just nine corners and is a circuit of fast straights and slow and medium speed corners, and as such, lap times were low with sub-70-second laps common.
However, with historic set-up data meaning little this weekend, the best teams can hope for is that their simulations prove accurate as the teams brings their cutting-edge 1.6-litre, hybrid, turbocharged 2014 cars to the circuit.
What can’t be modelled, however, is how the circuit will stack up in terms of surface characteristics and how it will evolve as sessions unfold.
Last time out, in Canada, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo scored a memorable maiden win after passing Nico Rosberg with just a few laps to go in Montreal.
Capitalising on a troubled race for previously dominant Mercedes, the result was a major step forward for the Austrian-licensed team and it will be looking to continue that good form at its home track.
In the drivers’ championship, second place in Montreal allowed Mercedes’ driver Rosberg to extend his title lead over team-mate Lewis Hamilton to 22 points.
The Briton will be keen to redress the balance in Spielberg, but on a circuit unfamiliar to the bulk of the current field, this latest iteration of the Austrian GP could turn out to be one of the most unpredictable of the season so far.
Follow all the action from the sixth round of the 2014 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season live on Sky Sports F1, or by watching extended free-to-air highlights of qualifying and the race on BBC One.
SOTB’s viewing guide to the 2014 F1 Austrian Grand Prix below:
OFFICIAL F1 WEBSITE TRACK GUIDE LIVE TIMING
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FORMULA 1 2014 ON SKY SPORTS F1 HD
After an absence of 11 years, Formula 1 makes its return to Austria this weekend and Sky Sports F1 is the only place to see all the action live across the weekend.
The race will be shown live and uninterrupted on Sunday afternoon, along with the qualifying session on Saturday, plus there will be full coverage of the Friday and Saturday morning practice sessions.
Simon Lazenby will anchor Sky Sports F1′s live coverage throughout the weekend where he will be joined by regulars Damon Hill, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert.
Ted Kravitz and Natalie Pinkham will provide the latest news and reports and from the pit lane, while commentary on all sessions comes from David Croft.
Martin Brundle will join Croft in the commentary box for both qualifying and the race, with Anthony Davidson calling the practice sessions, as well as providing his unique insights via the Sky Pad during the weekend.
During the race, a host of interactive additions, including on-board cameras, pit-lane feeds, the latest race stats and much more available via the red button and the Sky Sports for iPad app.
For those who won’t be at home, every second of the action can be seen via computers, laptops, mobiles and tablet devices on Sky Go.
Further information, news and video content can be found at skysports.com/f1, and viewers are encouraged to interact with the live programmes via Twitter – @SkySportsF1, #SkyF1.
In addition, Sky Sports F1 will also screen the GP2 and GP3 Series races in Austria with the qualifying sessions and races live over the weekend. Commentary is led by Will Buxton.
Friday 20th June
Free Practice 1 – Start: 09:00
LIVE: 8.45am-11.00am Sky Sports F1
Free Practice 2 – Start: 13:00
LIVE: 12.45pm-2.50pm Sky Sports F1
The F1 Show
LIVE: 5.00pm-6.00pm Sky Sports F1
Saturday 21st June
Practice 3 – Start: 10:00
LIVE: 9.45am-11.15am Sky Sports F1
Qualifying – Start: 13:00
LIVE: 12.00pm-2.35pm Sky Sports F1
Sunday 22nd June
Austrian Grand Prix – Race Start: 13:00
Track Parade: 11.30am-12.00pm Sky Sports F1
RACE LIVE: 12.00pm-3.30pm Sky Sports F1
Paddock Live: 3.30pm-4.15pm Sky Sports F1
Highlights: 6.30pm-7.30pm Sky Sports F1
The BBC will broadcast free-to-air TV highlights of the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix from the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
Suzi Perry presents all the action from the Styrian mountains alongside regular analysts David Coulthard and Allan McNish, who will all provide their unique take on proceedings from the pit lane and paddock.
Extended highlights of both qualifying and the race will be shown in primetime on BBC TV over the weekend.
The qualifying session will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday teatime at 4.45pm, while due to World Cup football scheduled earlier in the day, the BBC’s 90-minute race highlights show will air on BBC Two at 7.30pm on Sunday evening.
Commentary on qualifying and the race comes from Ben Edwards and David Coulthard, with Tom Clarkson providing regular updates from the pit-lane while Lee McKenzie is on hand to conduct interviews with the drivers and team personnel.
McKenzie will also host Inside F1 on BBC News Channel on Friday and Saturday evenings, which will preview the weekend’s action.
The BBC Sport website will have live streaming of BBC TV’s broadcasts, as well as additional video content including highlights of practice sessions, qualifying and the race, plus interviews and analysis.
All of the BBC’s TV coverage will be available to view shortly after transmission on BBC iPlayer.
BBC Radio 5 Live will also have live audio commentary of every on-track session from Spielberg with James Allen and Jennie Gow.
Saturday 21st JuneAustrian Grand Prix – Qualifying Highlights: 4.45pm-6.00pm BBC One Sunday 22nd June Austrian Grand Prix – Race Highlights: 7.30pm-9.00pm BBC Two
