Australian Grand Prix: What is the F1 weather forecast this weekend?

F1 action resumes this weekend with the 2022 F1 Australian GP, set to be held in Melbourne. It will be the first time F1 has raced Down Under in this decade. The race was omitted from the calendar in 2020 and 2021 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After two thrilling races in the desert heat of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, what sort of weather can F1 fans expect for the third race of the season?

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Weather Forecast for the 2022 F1 Australian Grand Prix weekend (April 8 - April 10)

Here is some information regarding the weather forecasts in Melbourne, Australia, for the upcoming Grand Prix weekend, according to F1.com.

Friday, April 8 – FP1 and FP2 weather

Conditions: Sunny spells for FP1 and FP2.

Maximum temperature expected: 23°C | 73.4°F

Minimum temperature expected: 13°C | 55.4°F

Chance of rain: 0%

Saturday, April 9 – FP3 and Qualifying weather

Conditions: Sunny FP3 and partly cloudy qualifying session.

Maximum temperature expected: 25°C | 77°F

Minimum temperature expected: 12°C | 53.6°F

Chance of rain: 0%

Sunday, April 10 - Main Race weather

Conditions: Sunny with a moderate breeze

Maximum temperature expected: 25°C | 77°F

Minimum temperature expected: 15°C | 59°F

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"Conditions could be more variable" - Pirelli boss Mario Isola ahead of 2022 F1 Australian GP

Pirelli boss Mario Isola cited multiple differing variables that have played a role in the tire compound selection for the 2022 F1 Australian GP this weekend.

The race returns to a revamped and renovated Albert Park for the first time in three seasons and not in March, as has been the case in seasons past. As a result, Pirelli's tire choice for this race is split

The Italian brand intends to offer the C2 and C3 compounds as the hard tires. Instead of making a natural progression to the next step, which is C4, the softest tire compound in Melbourne will be the C5. It will be the first time Pirelli has not chosen successive compounds for a Grand Prix weekend since 2018.

Speaking about the choices made by Pirelli for the race, Isola said:

“Compared to previous occasions, and with the drivers not having raced there for two seasons, this year there are a few unknowns to the Australian Grand Prix: first of all the circuit layout has been heavily revised to improve overtaking and, as a result, there’s also new asphalt that should be quite smooth. This means the track is likely to offer very low levels of grip at the start, with a high degree of evolution expected over the weekend and an extremely slippery surface if it rains.”

The Italian went on to add, saying:

“We will also head to Melbourne a couple of weeks later compared to previous seasons, when autumn has already started in the southern hemisphere, so conditions could be more variable. Last but not least, there is a completely new generation of cars and tyres that the drivers are still trying to learn about. All these factors mean that there will be a lot of work to do for teams and drivers in the free practice sessions. We decided to opt for the step in the compound nominations because we noticed that there was a relatively small performance gap between the C3 and C4 compounds during development testing, and we believe that Albert Park – with its new asphalt and layout – is a good place to try out this option.”

Meanwhile, all practice sessions and qualifying sessions, as well as the race, will be broadcast on F1 TV or their app, in the locales where it is available.

In the US, viewers can tune into ESPN and ESPN Deportes to watch all the action live from the three free practice sessions. UK viewers can catch the proceedings on Sky Sports, while Indian viewers can do the same on Star Sports Select, Star Sports Select HD 2, and Disney+ Hotstar.