Built in 1959 in Styria, the idea for the track came from the United Kingdom's success at Silverstone Circuit, also built on the site of an airfield. However, the track engineers at Zeltweg failed to take into account the abrasive nature of the surface. A lone Formula One World Championship Grand Prix was held in 1964. The World Sportscar Championship Zeltweg 500 Kilometres was held later, until the track was abandoned in 1969 following the construction of the purpose-built Österreichring just across the street. The Formula 1 lap record on the Zeltweg Airfield circuit is 1:09.84 by Graham Hill in a BRM, while the overall lap record is 1:04.820 and was set by Jo Siffert in a Porsche 908 during the 1968 "Zeltweg 500 Kilometres".