The Formula 1 calendar has become hugely diverse over the years, from rural countryside to urban cities, almost every type of landscape is accounted for. Set within the Austrian mountains, Spielberg features very much on the rural end of that scale, boasting one of the sport’s greenest-looking surroundings.

There’s something about the countryside that puts a smile on your face and Austria has been a happy hunting ground for McLaren over the years, with plenty of silverware to show for our efforts, including Lando's first F1 podium. 

Ahead of our latest trip into the mountains, we’ve gathered a survival kit full of information to help get you through it. This week’s grand prix guide is full of tips and tricks from Lando, Oscar and Team Principal Andrea Stella, a lowdown on the track and the local area, and some help with what to wear.

Critical info

Round	10
Where	Red Bull Ring
When	30 June - 2 July
Lights out	14:00 local / 15:00 MTC
Follow	The website and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

“The Canadian Grand Prix was a difficult one but fun. There was some good overtaking, and we were able to fight for points on-track. Since then, I’ve been back at the MTC and in the sim this week to prepare for Austria.

“The Red Bull Ring is one of my favourite circuits. It holds a lot of good memories for me, having scored my first podium there. It’s a Sprint weekend too, which always makes it more interesting. It’s all looking promising, so we’ll get out there and give it our all.”

“I’m happy with my Canada debut. After a frustrating Q3, my Sunday ended just shy of the top 10. There was a lot of learning, and my engineers and I went over everything at the MTC this week.

“I’m looking forward to returning to the Red Bull Ring, this time in an F1 car. I quite enjoyed the new Sprint format in Baku, so I’m looking forward to experiencing that again this weekend and hopefully bringing back some points for the team.”

Ain’t no mountain high enough

The Red Bull Ring is more than just a pretty race. The Styrian Alps provide a beautiful backdrop to a scintillating lap. At 4.318km long, it’s a short circuit, but it fits a lot in.

For a rural area, it sure is fast paced. The start is heavy on the straights, with power and low drag rewarded, whilst the second is geared towards a high downforce setup, with a lot of corners and fewer chances to put your foot down. Choosing which of those setups to opt for is a yearly conundrum for teams and very much depends on your car’s individual strengths.

The best overtaking spots come during the first half of the lap, with moves most possible at Turns 2, 3 and 4. With the three main passing opportunities coming in quick succession, this can create some exciting back-and-forths between drivers.

The weather can change from one moment to the next at the Red Bull Ring, so don’t be surprised to see it switch from scorching sunshine to pouring rain within the blink of an eye. The latter of which seems to suit us best at the moment, as explained by Oscar in an interview last week, when the Australian talked about the strengths of the MCL60 when it is “cold and damp.”

Last time out

The Canadian Grand Prix was a weekend of two halves. Oscar crashed in qualifying but still managed to secure eighth, following a penalty for Carlos Sainz, whilst Lando put himself in seventh.

They followed this up with a strong start, as Oscar overtook Lando and Nico Hulkenberg for sixth, whilst the British driver hung on to eighth. Both fell out of the top 10 after pitting during a Safety Car period and despite pulling off several overtakes, were unable to fight their way back in. Lando’s attempts weren’t helped by a five-second penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, as we departed Montreal empty-handed.  

Setting the scene

Spielberg – much like the circuit - is small. The track is set in the heart of the Stryian Alps and provides arguably the most breathtaking lap on the calendar. As well as its beautiful mountains and forests, the area is also known for its spas and castles, so the walkers amongst you will have plenty to keep you busy outside of racing.

It's just as well because you’ll want to make plenty of room for food and drink. Austrian sausages and Wiener Schnitzels should be at the top of your savoury list, whilst Viennese Apfelstrudel should feature among your must-try sweet treats. Spielberg also boasts an impressive array of wines and beers, for those of you that are partial to an alcoholic drink.

Spriiiiiiiiiiiiint

You can get the full lowdown on the Sprint format here, but the big change for this year is that it is now a standalone event, which does not affect the starting grid on Sunday. That means that we get two qualifying sessions, one for the Sprint and one for Sunday’s grand prix.

The actual Sprint race will follow the same format as in 2022, with points handed out to the top eight finishers: the winner taking home eight points, and the driver in eighth gaining just one point. Unlike in 2022, the finishing order of the Sprint Race will not affect the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The race on Sunday will then take place as usual… Make sense? Good.

“We return from Canada with mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s a shame that the five-second penalty given to Lando resulted in a demotion to P13, but on the other hand, we showed better pace and both cars were fighting for points.

“We now shift our focus to this double-header starting with Austria this weekend. The Austrian GP is also a Sprint race weekend. With only one practice session, we will look to try and be ready straight away and be competitive at a track in which we had positive results in previous years.”

Set your alarms 

Free Practice	08:30 ET / 13:30 BST / 22:30 AET
Qualifying	12:00 ET / 17:00 BST / 02:00 AET
Sprint Shoutout	07:00 ET / 12:00 BST / 21:00 AET
Sprint	11:30 ET / 16:30 BST / 01:30 AET
Race	10:00 ET / 15:00 BST / 00:00 AET

Stat pack

• With six victories, we have the joint most wins in Austria

• Lando has never finished outside of the top six in Austria when racing in F1 machinery

• Lando scored his first F1 podium at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix

• Oscar won the 2020 Formula 3 Feature Race at the Red Bull Ring

• Austrian Niki Lauda was the first McLaren driver to win the Austrian Grand Prix

• Alain Prost, Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard have all won for us in Austria

• In 1999, Häkkinen drove from last to first to win in Austria after being nudged off the track by teammate Coulthard

• Before winning in 2001, Coulthard had finished second in the Austrian Grand Prix four years in a row

The fit: The Lando look

We’ve been dying to show you this one… British summertime is in full swing, and this year’s chic is tie-dye, so Lando tells us. Ahead of our home race at Silverstone, Lando has released a brand-new drop in his favourite shade of tie-dye.

Don’t just dress to support the British star this summer, dress like him. We have matching New Era caps, T-shirts and a hoodie for you to pair with your favourite pair of black jeans and trainers. And if you reaaaaally wanted to do the look justice, you could bring along a Lando face mask – but you didn’t hear that suggestion from us.

Plus One

Sticking with the British theme, this year’s race at Silverstone marks the launch of our first-ever OKX Grand Prix Club. Hosted at the Fraeight Island in Manchester, tickets are free and available here.

With amazing prizes on offer, including signed merch and MTC Tours, it’s the perfect place for McLaren fans from up and down the country to get together and cheer on Lando and Oscar. You can even go up against one another on an F1 simulator.