After general testing yesterday, the drivers got down to the more serious business of free practice today. The situation going into the first DTM race on Saturday is tense, with just nine points separating main title contenders Mirko Bortolotti and Thomas Preining, a deficit that is negligible in the DTM – at least, if the spectators decked out in red, white and red are to be believed. Thomas Preining raised the spirits of the Austrian fans by setting the fourth-best time in the final practice, leaving his closest rival Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini) trailing a distant 16th.
If you plan to be there to cheer Preining on in his attempt to regain the championship lead, you can pay on the day at one of the box offices which open at 08:00. Reigning champion Sheldon van der Linde set the fastest practice time of 1:28.422 minutes on Friday. By comparison, the fastest time clocked by a member of the public in the simulator today was 1:30.439 minutes. Several of these state-of-the-art machines have been set up for you in the E‑Sport Area and are free to use. So come along and show your friends and family what your racing potential is.
Sightseeing of a special kind
Already today, numerous motorsport fans took the opportunity to see the Red Bull Ring from a completely new perspective. If you would also like to be driven around the circuit in our specially provided vehicle, then book a Service Road Tour. Ticket prices start at € 49,- and can be purchased from the ticket office located in the mobile fan shop. You can book the “once in a lifetime” experience on Saturday (08:30-17:00) and on Sunday (08:00 -17:00). You will find the detailed schedule in front of the mobile fan shop.
Alpine skiing & motor sports – a great combination
Yesterday Marcel Hirscher, tomorrow Hans Knauss and on Sunday Nicole Schmidhofer. At Spielberg, it’s not only the motor racing contestants who appear on stage but also star names from Alpine skiing. At the VIP Talks on the event stage, Hans Knauss and Nici Schmidhofer will face questions from Kronehit presenter Katie Weleba. Check out this event in the DTM Fan Zone at 12:40 and be sure to get an autograph or selfie.
