1976 Austrian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Lauda still leads the championship despite missing this race. The British GP appeal from Ferrari is still pending.

Previous race

Hunt won the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring after Lauda’s Ferrari burst into flames on the second lap following a suspected rear suspension failure. Lauda was pulled from the burning car by fellow drivers Guy Edwards, Brett Lunger, Harald Ertl, and Arturo Merzario, who stopped their cars to help. Lauda was airlifted to hospital with serious burns and fought for his life for several days. He inhaled hot toxic fumes and sustained severe facial burns. The race was restarted and Hunt won ahead of Scheckter and Mass.

Between-race developments

Lauda remains hospitalised following his injuries at the Nürburgring. His condition is no longer life-threatening. Ferrari have chosen not to enter this race — the team cite the reinstatement of Hunt as winner of the Spanish Grand Prix as their reason for withdrawing.

Carlos Reutemann has negotiated a release from his Brabham contract to stand in for Lauda at Ferrari. This weekend, however, Ferrari are not entering at all.

Entrants

Two local drivers, Otto Stuppacher and Karl Oppitzhauser, applied to enter under the ÖASC Racing Team banner — Stuppacher bringing a Tyrrell 007 and Oppitzhauser a March 761 — but both were refused due to insufficient experience. Neither will take part. Lella Lombardi qualifies in the RAM-entered Brabham.

This is Penske’s home race in one sense: team founder Roger Penske’s driver Mark Donohue died at the Österreichring one year ago, following an accident in practice for the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix.