F1 News: FIA announce SEVEN Austrian Grand Prix changes as official statement issued

FIA, Austrian and F1 flags — Photo: © IMAGO

Austrian Grand Prix

FIA announce SEVEN Austrian Grand Prix changes in official statement

F1 heads to Austria this weekend

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 28 June 2025 11:58

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A number of changes were made to the Austrian Grand Prix circuit ahead of the race weekend, as confirmed by the FIA.

F1 heads to Austria for round 11 of the 2025 world championship this weekend, with Oscar Piastri hoping to further extend his lead at the top of the drivers' championship standings.

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Elsewhere, Max Verstappen and George Russell are set to renew their rivalry, with two of the most in-form drivers on the grid involved in a war of words, and a potential battle for a Mercedes F1 seat for 2026.

The Austrian GP is very much Verstappen territory, with it being Red Bull's home race, and the Red Bull Ring will likely be awash with orange as the four-time champion looks to put on a show in front of his adoring fans.

Now, an FIA announcement has revealed a number of changes to the Spielberg track, compared to the 2024 event.

They have confirmed that parts of the track have been resurfaced, between turn two - where Lando Norris and Verstappen collided last year - and turn three.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen crashed at the 2024 Austrian GP

On top of this, white lines at six different corners have been realigned, with blue lines also being painted behind the white lines. It is these lines that FIA race stewards will use to determine whether drivers are in excess of track limits or not.

Russell hoping for more success

Not only is Russell searching for back-to-back wins in 2025, he's also hoping to claim a second consecutive victory around the Red Bull Ring.

Verstappen and Norris' collision in the closing stages of last year's race allowed Russell to claim the victory, the first of four wins that season for Mercedes as they launched a summer turnaround.

Both Russell and Kimi Antonelli will be hoping that their strong Canadian GP showing will be the start of something similar this year, as they sit 175 points behind leaders McLaren in the constructors' standings.

If Russell does claim victory in Austria this year, however, he can probably expect boos to be ringing in his ears when he stands atop the podium, with Verstappen fans not likely to quickly forget the events of the past two race weekends.

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Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes FIA George Russell Oscar Piastri