A1-Ring

The circuit was built on the site of the Österreichring, a 5.942 km track situated in the Styrian mountains. The Österreichring was originally built in 1969 to replace the bland and bumpy Zeltweg Airfield circuit located just across the expressway. The Österreichring had noticeable changes in elevation during the course of a lap, with a 65 m (213 ft) difference from lowest to highest point. By the mid-1990s, safety concerns regarding the original layout had reached a critical point. The Österreichring was known for its narrow 10-meter wide start-finish straight, which frequently caused multi-car accidents, and its high-speed corners that lacked adequate run-off areas. Following the final race on the original layout in 1995, the facility was completely rebuilt by designer Hermann Tilke across 1995 and 1996. The project was largely funded by the mobile phone provider A1, leading to the track being renamed the A1-Ring.

The redesigned circuit opened in 1996, hosting the Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix that same year. The new layout was significantly shorter than its predecessor, reduced from 5.942 km to 4.326 km. Tilke replaced the fast sweeping sweepers of the old track with three tight right-hand corners designed specifically to create overtaking opportunities. The configuration featured three long straights and a twisty infield section, which forced teams to find a setup compromise between top speed and technical handling.

Formula One returned to the venue in 1997, beginning a seven-year run of the Austrian Grand Prix at the A1-Ring. During this period, the track also became a regular fixture for the DTM series. Other major series that visited the circuit during the A1-Ring era included the FIA GT Championship, which held the A1-Ring 500km in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2001.

In 2003, the contract for the Austrian Grand Prix was terminated, and Formula One outgrew the circuit. Plans were initially drawn up to extend the layout, but the project stalled. In 2004, the circuit was sold to Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz. During that same year, the pit buildings and main grandstands were demolished, rendering the track unusable for any sanctioned motorsport categories.

The A1-Ring served as the transitional bridge between the high-speed danger of the original Österreichring and the modern era of the Red Bull Ring. Its 4.326 km layout remains the foundation for the current circuit. In late 2008, Red Bull eventually began a €70m reconstruction of the site. The track was reopened on 15 May 2011 as the Red Bull Ring.

In 2019, the first turn of this layout was renamed the "Niki Lauda Turn" in honor of the three-time World Champion, who remains the only Austrian driver to win his home Grand Prix, a feat achieved on the original Österreichring layout in 1984.

The A1-Ring hosted a diverse range of categories beyond Formula One. These included the European Truck Racing Championship and various junior formulae such as Formula BMW ADAC and the Italian Formula Three Championship. The circuit also hosted the European Touring Car Championship in 2000 and 2001.