View source for 1000 km Zeltweg

{{unreferenced|date=July 2017}}

{{Infobox motor race
|Race title = 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring
|Logo = 
|Track map = [[File:Spielberg bare map numbers contextless 2021 corner names.svg|200px]]
|Series long = [[European Le Mans Series]]
|Series short = [[ELMS]]
|Venue = [[Red Bull Ring]]
|Sponsor = 
|First race = 1933
|First series race = 2013
|Last race = 2021
|Distance = 
|Laps = 
|Duration = 4 Hours
|Previous names = 500&nbsp;km Zeltweg<br />1000&nbsp;km Zeltweg
|Most wins driver = 
|Most wins team = 
|Most wins manufacturer = 
}}

The '''4 Hours of Red Bull Ring''' (originally known as the '''500&nbsp;km Zeltweg''') was an [[Endurance racing (motorsport)|endurance]] [[sports car racing|sports car]] event held near [[Spielberg, Styria|Spielberg]], [[Austria]].  Originally based at the [[Zeltweg Airfield]], the race moved to the [[Red Bull Ring|Österreichring]] and was lengthened to a 1000&nbsp;km distance and there it continued to be a regular event in the [[World Sportscar Championship]] until 1976.

==History==
[[Image:Circuit Zeltweg.png|thumb|right|150px|The [[Zeltweg Airfield]] circuit used from 1966 to 1968]]
[[Image:Österreichring 1969-1976.svg|thumb|right|150px|The [[Österreichring]], used from 1969 to 1976]]
[[Image:Circuit Red Bull Ring.svg|thumb|right|150px|The [[A1-Ring]], used from 1997 to 2001]]
In 1963, [[Formula One]] held its first exhibition event at the [[Zeltweg Airfield]], located in [[Styria]].  The airfield had been modified in 1958 to allow it to be used for motorsports, using the [[runway]] and [[taxiway]]s for straights.  Following the successful event, the [[Austrian Grand Prix]] joined the Formula One calendar for the 1964 season.  However complaints from drivers about the poor surface led to the [[FIA]] abandoning the circuit before a 1965 event could be held.  Left without a major event, the organizers turned to the [[World Sportscar Championship]] and offered a 500&nbsp;km event to take place starting in 1966.  This event proved more successful due to the ability of the sportscars to handle the bumpy surface better than a Formula One car.

In 1969, due to demands once again from racers for a better circuit, the [[Österreichring]] was built in the mountains less than a mile from Zeltweg Airfield.  Once the new circuit was completed, the sports car event moved to its permanent home.  Due to the freshness of the track, the organizers expanded the event to a 1000&nbsp;km endurance.  The smoothness of the new racing surface allowed for greater reliability and greater ease in achieving the longer distance.  The high-speed nature of the layout also allowed for quick races, with some events running under five hours.  However, with rule changes in the evolved [[World Championship of Makes]] in 1976, the event became limited to a maximum of six hours due to the decrease in overall speed of the competitors.

The 1976 event also became the final 1000&nbsp;km race at the Österreichring.  A second Austrian race was added to the separate World Sportscar Championship, held at the smaller [[Salzburgring]].  Due to safety concerns and a shrinking schedule, the Österreichring was dropped from the 1977 season, leaving the Salzburgring one final event before it too was abandoned, marking the final Austrian event in the World Sportscar Championship.

Following the rebuilding of the Österreichring into the new [[A1-Ring]] in 1997, the [[FIA GT Championship]] briefly resurrected the sportscar endurance race in a modified form.  A four-hour event was run in 1997 covering nearly 700&nbsp;km, followed by 500&nbsp;km races in 1998, 2000, and 2001.  The FIA chose not to return to the circuit after the 2001 event, and the A1-Ring was eventually partially torn down in 2004, until it was rebuilt as Red Bull Ring in 2011.

==Winners==
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%;"
|-
! Year
! Drivers
! Team
! Car
! Time
|-
! colspan=5 | Zeltweg Airfield
|-
! 1966
| {{flagicon|BRD}} [[Gerhard Mitter]]<br>{{flagicon|BRD}} [[Hans Herrmann]]
| {{flagicon|BRD}} [[Porsche|Porsche System]]
| [[Porsche 906]]
| 3:07:52:550
|-
! 1967
| {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Paul Hawkins (racing driver)|Paul Hawkins]]
| {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Paul Hawkins (racing driver)|Paul Hawkins]]
| [[Ford GT40#Mk II|Ford GT40 Mk.II]]
| 3:15:54.530
|-
! 1968
| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Jo Siffert]]
| {{flagicon|BRD}} [[Porsche|Porsche System Engineering]]
| [[Porsche 908]]
| 2:55:17.790
|-
! colspan=5 | Österreichring
|-
! 1969
| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Jo Siffert]]<br>{{flagicon|BRD}} [[Kurt Ahrens Jr.]]
| {{flagicon|BRD}} [[Freiherr von Wendt]]
| [[Porsche 917]]
| 5:23:36.980
|-
! [[1970 Austrian 1000km|1970]]
| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Jo Siffert]]<br>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Brian Redman]]
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[John Wyer|J.W. Automotive]]
| [[Porsche 917#Variants|Porsche 917K]]
| 5:08:04:670
|-
! 1971
| {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Pedro Rodríguez (racing driver)|Pedro Rodríguez]]<br>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Richard Attwood]]
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[John Wyer|J.W. Automotive]]
| [[Porsche 917#Variants|Porsche 917K]]
| 5:04:26.100
|-
! 1972
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Jacky Ickx]]<br>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Brian Redman]]
| {{flagicon|ITA|1946}} [[Scuderia Ferrari|SpA Ferrari SEFAC]]
| [[Ferrari 312 PB]]
| 4:58:46.280
|-
! 1973
| {{flagicon|France}} [[Henri Pescarolo]]<br>{{flagicon|France}} [[Gérard Larrousse]]
| {{flagicon|France}} [[Equipe Matra Sports|Equipe Matra-Simca]]
| [[Matra-Simca MS670#1973|Matra-Simca MS670B]]
| 4:48:57.800
|-
! 1974
| {{flagicon|France}} [[Henri Pescarolo]]<br>{{flagicon|France}} [[Gérard Larrousse]]
| {{flagicon|France}} Equipe [[Gitanes]]
| [[Matra-Simca MS670#1974|Matra-Simca MS670C]]
| 4:51:20.270
|-
! 1975
| {{flagicon|France}} [[Henri Pescarolo]]<br>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Derek Bell (auto racer)|Derek Bell]]
| {{flagicon|BRD}} [[Kauhsen|Willi Kauhsen Racing Team]]
| [[Alfa Romeo Tipo 33#Alfa Romeo T/33/TT/12|Alfa Romeo T33/TT/12]]
| 3:34:50.550<sup>†</sup>
|-
! 1976
| {{flagicon|Austria}} [[Dieter Quester]]<br>{{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Gunnar Nilsson]]
| {{flagicon|BRD}} [[Schnitzer Motorsport|Schnitzer]] [[BMW]]
| [[BMW E9#3.0 CSL|BMW 3.0 CSL]]
| 6:00:16.400
|-
! colspan=5 | A1-Ring
|-
! [[1997 FIA GT Zeltweg 4 Hours|1997]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Klaus Ludwig]]<br>{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Bernd Mayländer]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Mercedes-AMG|AMG-Mercedes]]
| [[Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR]]
| 4:00:55.816
|-
! [[1998 FIA GT A1-Ring 500km|1998]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Klaus Ludwig]]<br>{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Ricardo Zonta]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Mercedes-AMG|AMG-Mercedes]]
| [[Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR|Mercedes-Benz CLK LM]]
| 2:47:34.975
|-
! [[2000 FIA GT A1-Ring 500km|2000]]
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Mike Hezemans<br>{{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Tom Coronel]]
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Carsport Holland
| [[Chrysler Viper GTS-R]]
| 3:00:01.811
|-
! [[2001 FIA GT A1-Ring 500km|2001]]
| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Peter Kox]]<br>{{flagicon|Sweden}} [[Rickard Rydell]]
| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Prodrive|Prodrive Allstars]]
| [[Ferrari 550#Motorsport|Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello]]
| 3:00:09.952
|-
! colspan=5 | Red Bull Ring
|-
! [[2013 3 Hours of Red Bull Ring|2013]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Pierre Thiriet]]<br>{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Mathias Beche]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[TDS Racing|Thiriet by TDS Racing]]
| [[Oreca 03]]
| 3:00:09.351
|-
! [[2014 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring|2014]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Paul-Loup Chatin]]<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nelson Panciatici]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Oliver Webb]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Signature Team|Signatech Alpine]]
| [[Oreca 03|Alpine A450b]]
| 4:00:16.248
|-
! [[2015 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring|2015]]
| {{flagicon|POR}} [[Filipe Albuquerque]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Simon Dolan]]<br>{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Harry Tincknell]]
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Jota Sport]]
| [[Zytek Z11SN|Gibson 015S]]
| 4:00:21.546
|-
! [[2016 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring|2016]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Pierre Thiriet]]<br>{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Mathias Beche]]<br>{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Ryō Hirakawa]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[TDS Racing|Thiriet by TDS Racing]]
| [[Oreca 05]]
| 4:00:04.366
|-
! [[2017 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring|2017]]
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Will Owen (racing driver)|Will Owen]]<br>{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Hugo de Sadeleer]]<br>{{flagicon|POR}} [[Filipe Albuquerque]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[United Autosports]]
| [[Ligier JS P217]]
| 4:00:57.876
|-
! [[2018 4 Hours of Red Bull Ring|2018]]
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Roman Rusinov]]<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Andrea Pizzitola]]<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean-Éric Vergne]]
| {{flagicon|RUS}} [[TDS Racing|G-Drive Racing]]
| [[Oreca 07]]
| 4:00:14.242
|-
! [[2021 European Le Mans Series|2021]]
| {{flagicon|POL}} [[Robert Kubica]]<br>{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Louis Delétraz]]<br>{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Yifei Ye]]
| {{flagicon|BEL}} [[W Racing Team|Team WRT]]
| [[Oreca 07]]
| 4:00:49.743
|-
|}

† - The 1975 event was scheduled for 1000&nbsp;km, but was stopped after 600&nbsp;km due to heavy rain.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080307090840/http://theracingline.net/racingcircuits/racingcircuits/Austria/Zeltweg.html Motor Racing Circuits Database] - Zeltweg Airfield (1958-1968)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071115021244/http://theracingline.net/racingcircuits/racingcircuits/Austria/Osterreichring1969.html Motor Racing Circuits Database] - Österreichring (1969-1976)

{{Automobile endurance races}}

[[Category:1000 km Zeltweg| ]]
[[Category:Sports car races]]
[[Category:Auto races in Austria]]
[[Category:World Sportscar Championship races|Zeltweg]]