F1 2022: All you need to know about the Australian Grand Prix

F1 is heading down-under for the 35th edition of the world championship Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

The 2022 F1 Australian GP is the third race on the calendar for the ongoing season. The race weekend starts on Friday, April 08, when Free Practice 1 commences and will run through until Sunday, April 10, when the checkered flag falls.

The Albert Park Circuit is set to host an F1 Grand Prix after a three-year-long hiatus. The sport last raced in the country in 2019, while the 2020 edition was canceled following the global outbreak of COVID-19.

Traditionally, Australia hosted the inaugural race of the season, but for the last two seasons, Bahrain has taken over the role.

The Venue

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Type: Semi-permanent Street Circuit

Circuit Length: 5.279 km (3.280 mi)

First race held: 1996 (Albert Park)

The venue for the 2022 F1 Australian GP is the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Victoria – a semi-permanent street circuit built around Albert Park Lake. The circuit features an equal number of high-speed and low-speed corners and is considered quite easy to drive.

Purpose-built for the inaugural event in 1996, the Albert Park Circuit has often been criticized for its lack of overtaking potential. To address these problems, the venue has been extensively modified over the last few months.

The newly revamped track features 16 turns and is expected to be much faster than the previous layout. Some of the modifications include turning the erstwhile chicane at Turns 9 and 10 into a fast, sweeping complex. This is aimed at increasing overtaking opportunities heading into the faster Turns 11 and 12, which are immediately followed by a DRS zone.

The new layout features 26 turns and four DRS sections, and the average speed throughout the circuit is expected to increase by 30 kmph (18.64 mph) compared to the previous layout. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton managed an average speed of over 235 kmph (146 mph) during his pole lap of 2019.

Furthermore, the new modifications are also expected to make lap times much faster. Currently, Michael Schumacher holds the race lap record at the circuit with a 1:24:125, set with his Ferrari F2004 at the 2004 Australian GP.

While many parts of the circuit have been modified and resurfaced, Albert Park can be quite bumpy due to it being a temporary facility. The circuit is often slippery on Friday due to a lack of running, and hence grip tends to build over the weekend as the track rubbers in.

The track features little to no elevation changes, but still requires a well-balanced chassis, with an emphasis on front-end grip.

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F1 teams' lack of historical data has potential to mix up the grid

The extensive renovations made to the Albert Park circuit could potentially add yet another layer of complexity for teams to deal with. The venue is the first on the 2022 calendar that teams do not have historical data to rely upon. Despite many sections of the circuit remaining identical to the previous layout, the overall increase in lap times, as well as many key changes, make existing data from previous visits to the track irrelevant.

Additionally, restrictions placed on working hours for teams could mean getting the right setup within a short period of time will be crucial for success come Saturday.

Furthermore, the track is relatively different compared to the last two venues F1 visited and features an unprecedented four DRS zones. This means teams that have suffered from unique issues in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, such as McLaren and Williams, will be hoping for better chances in Australia.