The Spielberg site's motorsport history begins with the Österreichring, which opened in 1969 to replace the rough and unsuitable Zeltweg Airfield Circuit located just across the expressway. The Österreichring was a visually spectacular circuit threading through the Styrian mountains, with significant elevation changes — 65 m from lowest to highest point — and a layout in which every corner was taken in at least third gear. For 18 consecutive years from 1970 to 1987, it hosted the Austrian Grand Prix.
The Österreichring was considered one of the fastest circuits in Formula One. At the final grand prix there in 1987, pole-sitter Nelson Piquet averaged 256.621 km/h over the 5.942 km lap. The narrow 10 m pit straight, combined with 1980s turbocharged power levels approaching 1,400 bhp in qualifying, created dangerous conditions. American driver Mark Donohue died following an accident at the Hella-Licht Kurve in 1975. Safety concerns ultimately forced action, and after 1987 the circuit underwent modifications before being entirely rebuilt in 1995–1996.
Hermann Tilke redesigned the circuit, shortening it to 4.326 km and fundamentally changing its character. The three tight right-handers replaced the original high-speed sweepers, creating the stop-and-go layout suited to the overtaking opportunities Formula One sought. Three long straights, combined with a twisty infield section, demanded a setup compromise from teams. The mobile phone provider A1 funded much of the construction, lending its name to the rebuilt circuit.
Seven Formula One Austrian Grands Prix were held at the A1 Ring between 1997 and 2003. The circuit also hosted the Austrian Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1996 and 1997, several Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters rounds, and the FIA GT Championship's A1-Ring 500 km event. Formula 3000 rounds were also held at the venue during this period.
The A1 Ring produced several memorable Formula One races. The 2002 Austrian Grand Prix was marked by Ferrari team orders, with Rubens Barrichello slowing to allow Michael Schumacher to pass on the final corner — a moment that contributed to Formula One subsequently banning explicit team orders. The circuit's compact layout and run to the first corner often produced eventful opening laps.
Niki Lauda, Austria's only Formula One World Champion and the only Austrian driver ever to win his home Grand Prix, had earlier won the 1984 Austrian Grand Prix at the Österreichring driving a McLaren-TAG Porsche.
After the 2003 Austrian Grand Prix Formula One's contract with the circuit ended. The grandstands and pit buildings were demolished in 2004, leaving the track unusable. Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz purchased the site and funded a reconstruction costing approximately €70 million. The rebuilt Red Bull Ring reopened in May 2011 and returned to the Formula One calendar in 2014. The first turn of the track was renamed the Niki Lauda Turn on 30 June 2019 in honour of the three-time world champion who had died the previous month.