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Old 10 Jul 2020, 06:05 (Ref:3987114)   #1
Born Racer
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Styrian Grand Prix 2020: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 2

It was late arriving, but Formula 1 certainly returned in momentous style in Austria last weekend, and with the tantalising prospect of an unknown amount of Grands Prix to be held in quick succession in this evolving season, the battle for the championship has lost none of its lustre.

Indeed, Christian Horner claimed this week that you have to treat every race as 'a cup final'. Valtteri Bottas said words to that effect in Austria too, that you have to re-set and tackle each one as it comes. The unknown element of the season length may mean any traditional advice of driving slightly cautiously for the championship is somewhat thrown out of the window, as all you can seek to do is maximise each individual result.

With that in mind, this season, each event feels truly as a 'Grand Prix' should – an event in itself, with victory to be achieved, not only later in 2020, but now, this weekend. Now it is the Styrian Grand Prix, Styria being a slightly unfamiliar word in Formula 1, but known as the name of the state in which the Austrian Grand Prix has always taken place. We return to the Red Bull Ring for the second weekend in succession, making this the first time in Formula 1's history that a track has hosted two consecutive Grands Prix. The fact that the sport is jubilantly selling its wares in one place conjures up a carnival-like atmosphere, despite the lack of crowds at the circuit. It also calls to mind the sensation of club racing, battling away at one circuit on a regular basis. The teams and drivers will be getting even closer to perfection on this circuit this weekend – maybe it will be more predictable, or just maybe it will be even closer.

The fact that we have names such as the Styrian Grand Prix and the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix in 2020 harks back to the feel of some of the non-championship races of yesteryear, yet of course, there is very much a title battle on.

There have been various other occasions in which Formula 1 races had names which were not just those of their countries. Indeed, from the inaugural season in 1950 until 1960, the Indy 500 was a part of the World Championship.

Then in 1976, a second race in the United States alongside its own Grand Prix was added – the United States Grand Prix West at Long Beach. In 1979, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen became the United States Grand Prix East. A race on a tight circuit laid out in the car park of the Caesars Palace casino was added in 1981 and took its name– the Caesars Palace Grand Prix. The following year, there were three races in the States, as the Detroit Grand Prix was added. Detroit held its title of 'Detroit Grand Prix' even when it remained the sole race in the country. 1982 was also the year when the Swiss Grand Prix was held at Dijon in France.

In 1957, a second race in Italy took place – the Pescara Grand Prix. It was the longest circuit ever used in F1, at 25.8km. 1981 in Imola, Italy, saw the San Marino Grand Prix established, a staple on the calendar for many years. Japan held the Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995, in addition to the Japanese Grand Prix.

1983 heralded the introduction of the European Grand Prix, in the early years held at Brands Hatch and then the new Nurburgring, before Donington, Jerez and the Nurburgring again hosted it in the 1990s. It became established at the German circuit. Before returning to the European Grand Prix name, the race once became the Luxembourg Grand Prix in 1998.

The last European Grands Prix were those to be staged on the now-abandoned Valencia circuit in Spain.



Circuit length: 4.318 km
Number of laps: 71
Race distance: 306.452 km
Dry weather tyre compounds: C2, C3 and C4

Race Lap Record: 1:06.957 (2018 - Kimi Räikkönen - Ferrari)
First Styrian Grand Prix: 2020
First Grand Prix on current circuit: 1969
First World Championship Grand Prix on current circuit: 1970
First Grand Prix on current layout: 2014



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Last edited by Born Racer; 17 Jul 2020 at 05:19.
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