Crash on Spielberg circuit: truck smashes through bridge

Hot flash in Spielberg, shortly before the start of the Austrian Grand Prix! A recovery truck hit a metal advertising bridge at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, before the start of the Formula 1 race in Austria. The structure then crashed to the ground.

According to the Austrian news agency APA, the accident occurred after Sunday morning's Formula 2 race, after the first corner. According to the fire department, there were no injuries. Emergency services immediately arrived at the scene, just hours before the start of the eleventh race of the Formula 1 season in Styria, to remove the wreckage as quickly as possible.

The images, captured by spectators in the stands, quickly spread on social media. They showed a tractor and a truck at the affected location. The start of the Porsche Supercup had to be temporarily postponed. The clearing work and the postponement had no impact on the F1 start, scheduled for 3 p.m.

Aside from this incident, the other news from Sunday was that the Austrian GP's financial future is secure. Ahead of the race, Formula 1 announced its upcoming XXL contract extension, which will see it race in Spielberg until 2041.

The initial agreement with the Spielberg organizers was still valid until the end of 2030. "Austria has long been a very special race for Formula 1. It is fantastic to have secured the long-term future of a Grand Prix so deeply rooted in the history of the sport," said Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.