F1 teams braced for weather chaos ahead of Austrian Grand Prix as severe warning issued

The FIA have issued an official statement to all F1 teams in a bid to combat adverse weather ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.

Whilst there is no threat to the actual race weekend in Styria, thunderstorms have been forecast for late on Thursday ahead of the action on track.

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This could have a significant impact on the F1 teams who have already arrived in Spielberg as they prepare for FP1 and FP2 on Friday.

The FIA’s race director Rui Marques, released an official statement that read: "Due to the anticipated severe weather conditions, all teams are allowed to close their garage doors."

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued in Spielberg for Thursday evening, coupled with a yellow warning for extreme high temperatures. This means teams will need to brace themselves for severe conditions when setting up the garage ahead of the race weekend.

GPFans have contacted F1 for comment, but it is expected that the race weekend will proceed as normal as the weather settles from Friday onwards.

The forecast could change as the weekend progresses, so be sure to check out our weather forecast updated regularly here.

Where does the Austrian GP take place?

The Austrian GP has been held at the Red Bull Ring since 2011, although the track was previously known as the A1-Ring from 1997 until 2003.

Prior to this, F1 spent an 18-year stint at the then-named Osterreichring, which hosted the Austrian GP from 1969 until 1987.

Originally, the Austrian GP was held at the Zeltweg Airfield, which was once an active military airfield and then used as a track from 1963 to 1968 before it was transformed into the Osterreichring.

Today, the track is home to Red Bull, and is a venue Max Verstappen's loyal fanbase the Orange Army all descend on to support the champion.

The Red Bull Ring is nestled near Spielberg in the Styrian mountains, with its location making it vulnerable to changeable weather conditions over the years.

For the first time since 2021, the Austrian GP will not feature a sprint race and instead will return to the standard format of two practice sessions on Friday, FP3 and qualifying on Saturday and the grand prix on Sunday.

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