F1 Legends Parade on Red Bull Ring

Pictures and words: Roman Klemm .

Even after the death of Red Bull's great founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, F1 fans don't need to worry: at the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, even in 2026, it wasn't just the usual F1-F2-F3-Porsche routine on offer. As the 'cherry on top,' there was also a look back at the history of the Grand Prix, both from a technical and a 'human perspective.' On Saturday evening and on Sunday just before the F1 Grand Prix start, top-name drivers were racing around the track in cars that brought tears to the eyes of long-time fans…

Mathias Lauda (son of the legend Niki), Christian Danner, Karl Wendlinger, Jan Lammers, Pierluigi Martini, Jean Alesi, Rubens Barrichello, David Coulthard, Mark Webber, and Paolo Barilla all took the fringes of the tropical heat. 
From the author's point of view, the most interesting exhibit was, of course, the Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46B 'sucker.' A controversial car with which Niki Lauda won the Swedish Grand Prix in 1978. 'The car hasn't run since,' revealed the restorer of Bernie Ecclestone's collection, former Brabham-F1 boss Ray Boulter. Sadly, in Autria it only drove a few hundred meters - and stopped again. With Jean Alesi in the cockpit.  
Lauda's next car was his championship-winning 1975 Ferrari 312T. It was driven by his son Mathias. Austrian Karl Wendlinger brushed up his skills in an F1 cockpit in this 1981 Lotus-Ford 88 (twin chassis). While the Brabham BT46B at least made it to the start once, the participation in an official qualifying was rejected to Colin Chapman every time.  
There were two exotic Tyrrell-Ford P34 six-wheelers available. Pierluigi Martini drove his 1976 model and pasta magnate and Le Mans winner Paolo Barilla took a spin in his 1977 example. Dutch F1 veteran and Le Mans winner Jan Lammers got to try the 1976 Lotus-Ford 77. 
"I should have had this chance 40 years ago,” former F1 driver Christian Danner told meafter a ride in Piquet's championship-winning Brabham-BMW BT52.  The same 1983 car as Danner's was also shown by Mark Webber in Spielberg. While the German's monoposto belongs to the BMW museum collection, Webber's BT52 is one of the cars Ecclestone sold to Mateschitz last year. 

Rubens Barrichello probably didn't have only positive memories when sitting in the Ferrari F2002: it's the car with which he had to "hand over” the victory to the defeated Schumacher at the Red Bull Ring. It was one of the darkest moments in the circuit's history… David Coulthard took a spin in the Red Bull RB6, with which German Vettel became world champion in 2010.
"Except for 4 pieces, Ecclestone's cars are still in England. But I want to get the museum in Salzburg sorted out this winter - then I'll send for the cars too,” Mark Mateschitz promised me.