F1 signs a 3-year contract extension to keep Austrian Grand Prix until 2030

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands takes a curve during the sprint race ahead of Sunday’s Formula One Austrian Grand Prix auto race, at the Red Bull Ring racetrack, in Spielberg, Austria, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Formula One announced Sunday that it has signed a three-year contract extension to keep the Austrian Grand Prix on the calendar until 2030.

The decision comes only months after the circuit signed a four-year deal until 2027, underlining how it is one of the most popular venues in F1.

Tens of thousands of orange-clad Dutch fans come every year, packing the grandstands to watch their nation’s star driver Max Verstappen on his Red Bull team’s home track in Spielberg against the backdrop of the Styrian mountains.

“The race in Austria is a big favorite for the drivers and all our fans,” F1 president Stefano Domenicali said. “We are looking forward to many years of excitement and action that are ahead of us.”

Austria has hosted an F1 championship race on and off since 1964 and the Red Bull Ring has been on the calendar each year since 2014.

The venue also held a second race in each of the 2020 and 2021 seasons under the Styrian Grand Prix name as F1 made up for races canceled during the coronavirus pandemic.