The return of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix to Melbourne this month is causing quite a stir in the Victorian capital. STEWART BELL explains…
It’s all eyes on Melbourne’s Albert Park in April, with Formula One returning to Australia for the first time since COVID-19 forced the 2020 event’s cancellation at the eleventh hour – just a few hours before practice was scheduled to kick-off. And it’ll be a euphoric celebration, given the terror of the past two years. However, nothing has stood still here – with the race organisers going all-out to ensure the event is better than ever. This means big changes for what will become the 25th F1 Australian Grand Prix.
The one the drivers will be talking about will be the track itself, with the layout tweaked for more passing without losing any of the original character. Overall, the lap has been shortened by 72 metres to 5.231 kilometres, with now 14 not 16 turns, and a new forecasted top speed of 330 kilometres per hour. But, the real benefits are expected from opened-up turns one, three, six and 13. The former Clark chicane has become an extended back straight with DRS, while the now-turn 11 has been straightened and widened. The expected result is that lap times should drop by around five seconds, with Albert Park set to become one of the top-five fastest tracks on the calendar.
The track has also been resurfaced for the first time in over 25 years, which the organisers hope will encourage F1’s sole tyre supplier Pirelli to bring its softest compounds for maximum grip. “For the technically minded, [the new track surface has] a higher level of micro and macro abrasion, which is going to play into the hands of the F1 strategists,” says Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott. And the fans have already voted with their feet, feverishly snapping-up tickets like never before to see the pinnacle of motorsport. That’s led the organisers to add five new grandstands, and expand capacity in others.
“We’re blown away by the incredible enthusiasm ahead of the Formula 1 Heineken Australian Grand Prix 2022. This year’s event is on-track to be the best Melbourne has ever seen and we cannot wait to welcome crowds back to Albert Park,” says Australian Grand Prix Corporation’s General Manager of Marketing and Experiences Arthur Gillion. “Not only will these additional Grandstands allow more people to experience the Formula 1 Heineken Australian Grand Prix 2022’s electrifying atmosphere, they also offer new and exciting views of a faster and more competitive Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.”
Australians will also be one of the first to see F1’s new era cars, which promise closer wheel-to-wheel racing, care of a design rethink to redirect the turbulent air coming off rear of the car that has previously made overtaking difficult. But, it’s early days on whether that science experiment has succeeded. “I have been following a few cars, it seems a little bit easier to stay behind,” said reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who races for Red Bull, during pre-season testing in Barcelona. “At least you don’t have these weird corners where you suddenly have understeer or a mass of oversteer. I don’t expect it to be fully gone, where you can follow [closely behind] the rear diffuser – at least not at the speeds we are still doing in F1 – but it all seems a bit more under control.”
Sitting behind other cars to see how close you could get was a big feature of pre-season testing, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz regularly trying it out. “I can tell you that I already felt some differences,” he said. “It’s pretty obvious already, and I’m relatively positive about it.” Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc added, “I tried, it felt a bit better until you get really, really close. Then you obviously feel a bit the loss of downforce, but I’ll have to do a few more laps behind a car.”
It all bodes well for the crowds in Melbourne, who will be streaming through the gates from April 8-10 with lattes in hand ready for four big days of action, and a lot to be excited about in a COVID-normal world.
TRACK TRANSITION
There’s been a huge change at Albert Park since the last Australian Grand Prix was held there in 2019, with corners cut and sharpened for better racing from 2022. Here’s how the turns have been tweaked…
TURN 1 AND 2: The corner has been widened by 2.5 metres for a more flowing opening section. This means more action at lights out as the grid is unleashed.
TURN 3: The corner has been widened by four metres, opening up what was the tightest corner on the track with the hardest braking.
TURN 6: The corner has been widened by 7.5 metres, expected to be 70km/h faster for a proper run onto the back straight for better passing.
NEW LONGER BACK STRAIGHT: The old chicane (what was turns 9/10) has been removed to up the track’s top speed (expected to now be 330km/h), with another powerful DRS zone.
TURN 11: The corner has been widened by 3.5 metres, with the entry straightened for more passing opportunities and to close-up the chasing pack.
TURN 13: The corner has been widened by 3.5 metres for more opportunities to pass as the cars fly onto the main straight, ready for another chance to pass.
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