The race was the second round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. It was added to the calendar following significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the cancellation or postponement of several Grands Prix. To facilitate a championship season, organizers signed a contract with Liberty Media to host a second event at the Red Bull Ring exactly one week after the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix. The event was named after Styria, the Austrian state where the circuit is located.
Several teams introduced technical updates for the event. Ferrari brought forward a range of updates for the SF1000 originally intended for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Mercedes tested new gearbox components to address electrical reliability issues encountered during the previous week's race, while McLaren introduced a new chin spoiler design.
Practice sessions were characterized by mixed conditions and incidents. Sergio Pérez finished fastest in the first practice, while Max Verstappen led the second. Daniel Ricciardo suffered a heavy crash at turn nine during the second session, though he was declared fit to race after a medical evaluation. The third practice session was cancelled entirely due to heavy rain.
Qualifying took place on a saturated track, with all drivers using wet compound tyres. Lewis Hamilton secured pole position with a time of 1:19:273, finishing more than 1.2 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Carlos Sainz Jr. qualified third, marking the first time a McLaren driver qualified in the top three on pace alone since 2014. Several grid penalties were issued following the session: Lando Norris received a three-place penalty for overtaking under yellow flags in practice, and Charles Leclerc received a three-place penalty for impeding Daniil Kvyat. Antonio Giovinazzi was demoted five places for a gearbox change, and Romain Grosjean was required to start from the pit lane due to a breach of parc fermé regulations.
The race began in dry conditions, allowing teams a free choice of starting tyre compounds. On the opening lap, a significant collision occurred at turn three when Charles Leclerc attempted to overtake teammate Sebastian Vettel on the inside. The contact broke Vettel's rear wing and caused floor damage to Leclerc's car; both Ferrari drivers were forced to retire by lap four.
Hamilton maintained his lead through the early stages, while Valtteri Bottas and Alexander Albon moved past Carlos Sainz Jr. into the top four. Max Verstappen was the first of the leaders to pit on lap 24, followed by Hamilton on lap 27. Esteban Ocon retired on lap 25 due to a cooling issue. Sergio Pérez, who started 17th, moved through the field to challenge for fourth place, eventually passing Daniel Ricciardo and Lance Stroll.
In the closing laps, Bottas utilized fresher tyres to catch Verstappen, successfully overtaking him for second place on lap 67 after a brief wheel-to-wheel battle. On the penultimate lap, Pérez attempted to pass Albon for fourth at turn four, but contact resulted in a broken front wing for the Racing Point driver. As Pérez slowed, Lando Norris capitalized on the final lap, overtaking Stroll and then passing the damaged car of Pérez at the final corner to finish fifth.
Lewis Hamilton's victory brought him within six points of championship leader Valtteri Bottas. Carlos Sainz Jr. finished ninth and recorded a lap time of 1:05.619 on lap 68, setting a new race lap record for the Red Bull Ring. The result allowed Mercedes to extend its lead in the Constructors' Championship to 41 points over McLaren.
Following the race, Renault lodged a formal protest against the legality of the Racing Point RP20, citing alleged similarities to the 2019 Mercedes W10. In the Ferrari camp, Leclerc accepted responsibility for the collision with Vettel, stating he had let the team down.
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