Austrian Grand Prix altitude to give F1 teams headache this weekend

Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Austria, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Austrian Grand Prix

Austrian Grand Prix altitude to give F1 teams headache this weekend

The 2026 F1 regulations continue to present new challenges

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 23 June 2026 22:58

As F1's Austrian Grand Prix approaches, one power unit provider has warned the new regulations could cause a headache for teams across the grid.

The eighth round of the 2026 season will take place at the Red Bull Ring, the home of the energy drink giants who are bringing a major upgrade in the hope of keeping star driver Max Verstappen interested in sticking with the team.

But even if they have successfully shed the extra 12 kilograms from their RB22, Red Bull could struggle with their new and improved challenger as they take to the Styrian mountains, as could all of their rivals.

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The Red Bull Ring is quite literally a hillside track thanks to the F1 circuit being positioned on the side of the Styrian Mountains, with extreme elevation changes at Turn 1 and Turn 3 in particular.

But thanks to the removal of the MGU-H in line with this year's new regulations, the issue of high altitude could be more prevalent than ever in Austria.

How 2026 regulations impact high-altitude F1 tracks

The Red Bull Ring is approximately 2,297 feet above sea level, and even though the incredible Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits roughly 7,500 feet above sea level, the home of the Austrian GP is still one of the highest-altitude tracks on the calendar.

The track has a total elevation change of over 200 feet from its lowest point on the start-finish straight to the crest near Turn 2.

So, when you pair the issue of high altitude with the fact that the new era of F1 cars no longer have an MGU-H to assist the turbocharger within the new power units, this could make for a tricky weekend ahead for all 11 teams and all five power unit manufacturers.

The MGU-H was an aspect of F1's hybrid power units since 2014 which converted exhaust thermal energy into electricity, and controlled the turbocharger speed.

For the 2026 season and beyond however, it was removed entirely as the MGU-K has become much more powerful.

In a race weekend preview ahead of the Austrian GP, Shintaro Orihara, Honda's Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer, explained why altitude could present as even more of an issue this weekend.

"The Red Bull Ring is in the mountains, located at a high altitude. This means that the turbocharger is required to work harder compared to other races," he began.

"When we had the MGU-H, we had an impact on the harvesting power at this circuit.

"However, as this component is no longer part of the 2026 regulations, we no longer have the MGU-H to assist the turbocharger, which may make it more challenging to operate both the turbocharger and the engine correctly at high altitude."

Honda warn of potential PU deficit in Austria

When translating what the altitude issue could mean for Honda and Aston Martin (the F1 team they supply a power unit to) Orihara added: "The first thing we will do in FP1 is to check the behaviour of both the turbocharger and the engine.

"Moreover, this week, we will expect high temperature at the track so cooling will also be an important topic to factor in."

There are already weather warnings in place for the three days of track action in Spielberg, with temperatures set to reach 35 degrees Celsius in the Styrian mountains as June's European heatwave continues.

Orihara continued: "Another characteristic of the circuit is its short layout. Despite its length, there are three fairly significant straights, and these are a demand on the power unit.

"The reality is that we may see a deficit here to other PU manufacturers, but we will adapt elements like our energy management strategy and driveability to maximise our package for the weekend."

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