Winning fan to wave chequered flag in Austria

One lucky race-goer will have the experience of a lifetime in Spielberg this Sunday when they get to wave the chequered flag at the end of the Formula 1 Grosser Preis von Osterreich 2016.

Fans attending the Grand Prix may visit a special on-site photo booth, and the person judged to have taken the best picture will join FIA race director Charlie Whiting in his tower to bring the 71-lap race to a close.

The move is just one of several fan-focussed initiatives at the Austrian event.

Three lucky draw winners will get a passenger lap of the Red Bull Ring in the official F1 safety car with driver Bernd Maylander, while 22 younger fans will accompany 2016’s 22 F1 racers to the drivers’ parade ahead of the Grand Prix.

This year’s drivers will not be the only attraction in Spielberg. A special F1 Legends event will see famous names of the past such as Niki Lauda and Gerhard Berger reunited for a rerun of the much-loved BMW M1 Procar series, which supported F1 races back in 1979 and 1980.

Jos Verstappen will be among those at the wheel, with the Dutchman also giving a taxi ride to his son, Red Bull driver Max.