The Red Bull Ring is situated in Spielberg in the Austrian province of Styria. Opened in 1969 as the Österreichring, the circuit became the A1 Ring from 1997 to 2003 and, after lengthy renovations, reopened in May 2011 as the Red Bull Ring. The high-speed track resembles a roller coaster with numerous changes in altitude and direction. It is picturesquely placed in the Aichfeld valley and surrounded on three sides by slopes that are used as natural grandstands.