• Albert Park has undergone significant modifications since first hosting a race in 1996

World champion Max Verstappen is eyeing a “smooth weekend” to build on his victory in Saudi Arabia, but is wary about a revamped Albert Park circuit as Formula One returns to Melbourne after a two-year hiatus. The 24-year-old Red Bull driver was a relieved man after battling to a thrilling win ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in Jeddah last month.
It was a satisfying triumph for Verstappen after Monaco’s Leclerc clinched the season-opening grand prix in Bahrain where the Dutchman failed to finish. The young rivals again shape as the men to beat in the third race of the year, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton desperate for improvement from Mercedes on a track where he has taken eight poles, including the last six.
It will be a new experience for all drivers, with Albert Park undergoing its most significant modifications since first hosting a grand prix in 1996. A full resurfacing has taken place with seven corners modified and two removed, bringing the number of turns down to 14, providing more overtaking opportunities and lap times up to five seconds quicker than in the past.
“It will be interesting to see the track updates, I think they will make quite a big difference, especially in turn six where the most significant change has happened,” said Verstappen, who is 20 points behind Leclerc in the drivers’ standings. “There should be more overtaking opportunities now too which is always positive. It’s going to be interesting to see how the car performs in Australia, the track can sometimes be quite dusty. I hope we can have another smooth weekend as a team.”
Verstappen made his Formula One debut in Melbourne in 2015 for Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso. Hamilton, who has won more Formula One races than any driver in history, has topped the podium twice in Australia, but not since 2015. His chances of doing so again appear slim on the evidence of the opening two races, where Mercedes struggled with speed and managing downforce, prompting the Briton to complain in Saudi Arabia his car was “undriveable”. After being gifted third place in Bahrain, when neither Red Bull finished, he managed just 10th in Jeddah, having qualified 16th. Team boss Toto Wolff is not holding out hope of big improvements in Melbourne. “There won’t be a magic fix for the next race weekend,” he said.
Albert Park had previously held the season-opening race every year since 1996, but was moved to third on the calendar this time to allow Covid restrictions to ease in Victoria state. Melbourne missed out in 2021 due to strict quarantine and entry regulations, after 2020 was sensationally scrapped just before the first official Friday practice session as concerns spiked following a McLaren staff member testing positive.
Valtteri Bottas, now driving for Alfa Romeo, won the last Australian Grand Prix three years ago, ahead of then-Mercedes teammate Hamilton by 20.886secs, the biggest margin of victory in the Finnish driver’s 10 race wins.
Australia will mark the first grand prix of the season for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who has been out of action after testing positive for Covid before the Bahrain season-opener.
“For me, after nearly a month out of the car, it will be important to learn throughout the practice sessions,” said the Aston Martin driver, whose team are yet to register a world championship point. “I hope we can take some steps forward in what is usually an exciting and unpredictable race,” said the German.
Vettel is a three-time winner at Albert Park — in 2011, 2017 and 2018. Other than Hamilton and Bottas, the only other driver on the grid this weekend who has tasted victory in Australia is Fernando Alonso, but that was 16 years ago in a Renault.

Mick Schumacher remembers dad ahead of Australia F1 debut
Melbourne: Mick Schumacher’s legendary father Michael holds the lap record at Albert Park and he fondly remembers travelling to Melbourne as a child to watch his dad in action. Now a Formula One driver himself, the 23-year-old will follow in his footsteps when he races at the Australian Grand Prix for the first time this weekend.
“I’m quite excited, I’m looking forward to getting to know the track and getting to know the city as well,” said the Haas driver.
“I’ve been here with my dad and have watched him race in Melbourne, that was really cool, and I’m excited to drive here myself and make my own experiences of driving in Formula 1 in Australia.”
Schumacher is fortunate to be in Melbourne after escaping uninjured from a horror crash in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix two weeks ago. He had to be lifted out of his wrecked car after clipping a kerb at high speed and airlifted to hospital for precautionary tests, before being ruled out of the race.
The Swiss-born German said afterwards he was “feeling alright” and his attention is now fully on conquering Albert Park, just like his seven-time world champion father did with four victories in his Ferrari in the early 2000s.
During that dominant run, he set a blistering lap record of 1:24.125 in 2004 which still stands today. It will likely not survive the weekend, with significant changes to the circuit set to shave lap times by as much as five seconds.
“My dad holds the lap record in a 2004 Ferrari. I got the chance to drive that car and it’s an amazing car,” said Schumacher.
“We’ll make our own laps in a similar-looking car, actually. The cars have turned back in time and they’re looking a bit more like they used to with the high front wing, so it will be interesting.”