Statistics corner: Verstappen is the most successful driver at the Austrian Grand Prix
Reigning champion Max Verstappen has been the most successful driver at the Austrian Grand Prix while Mercedes have been the most successful team courtesy of their seven victories in Austria.
This year’s race is the 38th edition of the Austrian Grand Prix, while Formula 1 celebrates its 40th appearance in Styria. The first was in 1964 on a track that made use of the Zeltweg military airfield, a stone’s throw from the current venue.
The race moved to Spielberg in 1970 when the track was known as the Österreichring, its home until 1987. After a ten year break, the event was run for a further six years on a shortened track, known as the A1-Ring. In 2014, it was renamed Red Bull Ring. In 2020 and 2021, the track also hosted the Styrian Grand Prix, back-to-back with the Austrian race, as part of the special calendars in the Covid years.
Max Verstappen is the most successful driver in Austria, with four wins in the eponymous Grand Prix and one in the 2021 Styrian GP. The Dutchman also heads the standings for pole positions (5) and podium finishes (8).
26 drivers have won at least once in Austria, eleven of them world champions – the aforementioned Verstappen, Alain Prost, Alan Jones, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell, Jacques Villeneuve and Lewis Hamilton. Last year’s winner was George Russell.
The most successful team in Austria is Mercedes, with a total of seven wins, although in the actual Austrian Grand Prix, the marque with the three-pointed star shares the top slot with Ferrari and McLaren.
Making the difference is Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix. Ferrari leads the way for poles with eight and also has the most podium finishes on 29.
