The old Osterreichring was dropped from the F1 calendar amidst increasing safety concerns, following a series of accidents at starts in 1987. Many fans mourned the loss of the circuit, its high speed 5.9 mile lap having been the scene of some memorable races in the past. F1 did not return to the new A1-Ring until 1997, the track having been renamed as the Austrian telephone company financed the bulk of the much needed refurbishment work. There are corners on the new track named after Austrian racing legends - Jochen Rindt and Niki Lauda.

The new ring is a shorter, modern stop-go circuit. The high altitude has an adverse effect on engine performance, which is important here as the long straights require high sixth gear speed. The combination of high-speed straights and slow corners makes the circuit hard on brakes.

The first race in 1997 was won by Jacques Villeneuve, but only after Jarno Trulli had surprised all by leading in his Prost-Mugen Honda. The 1999 race saw the McLarens of Hakkinen and Coulthard collide at the second corner, with victory going to Eddie Irvine in his Ferrari. The event was eventually taken over by the local authorities as revenue proved lower than expected, but the race was removed from the F1 calendar in 2004 in a dispute over Austrias anti-tobacco legislation.