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Tyres NorthamptonFormula One returns to Australia for the first time since 2019 as Melbourne hosts the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. The traditional season-opening round hasn't had any F1 cars tackle the Albert Park Circuit for a few years now, and in that time, it has gone a makeover to encourage better racing. As a result, Round 3 of the 2022 championship promises to offer something different from the two opening Middle Eastern events.
The teams have to factor in a faster layout and an entire track resurfacing for this familiar venue with some unfamiliar elements. A whopping four DRS zones mean we're going to see chasing cars enjoy the benefits of having their rear wing open to go at full attack more often. The circuit has widened many of its corners to give drivers more racing lines to eke out further advantages, too.
The most notable change, though, is the removal of corners on the back half of the circuit to allow higher speeds that'll shave an estimated five seconds off the lap times. These alterations go hand in hand with the track resurfacing – the first since Melbourne took on hosting duties in 1996 – that means any information the teams had on the tyres from their previous visits is essentially useless.
It's a new dawn for Albert Park, and Pirelli is bringing out the C5 tyre for the first time in 2022. The softest compound rubber should give the drivers the best possible grip on the tarmac that hasn't held any racing since the builders laid it. So expect to see the times tumble over the weekend as the all-important tyre rubber seeps into the track to give extra grip for the cars to lean on.
Another consideration for the teams, and Pirelli, is the slightly later race weekend. Usually, a date in March is when Australia welcomes the F1 circus, but we're well into April for 2022. While spring is in full effect over here in the U.K., the temperatures are beginning to drop down under. Melbourne's southern coast location means it feels the seasonal change sooner than other Aussie cities.
While the sun looks set to shine over the race weekend, autumn is beginning to bite the state of Victoria – rain is forecast all of next week. It is possible that a drizzle could affect any session, so we could see the intermediate or wet tyres on the track after the teams trialled them with the new 2022 cars back at the Barcelona test.
Pirelli also brings the C2 and C3 compounds to go with the C5. This choice of rubber represents the first compound jump of the season, with the mediums and softs having two steps between them. Mario Isola, Pirelli's Motorsport Director, noted a "relatively small performance gap" between the C3 and C4, hence the latter's omission. So, this weekend, the jump between soft and hards might see the softs relegated to qualifying only if the new surface's abrasiveness is particularly harsh.
Teams are playing politics with their PR as no constructor appears overly confident going into the Australian event. Mercedes aren't hopeful of a rapid turnaround – news that won't be ideal for home hero Daniel Ricciardo, whose McLaren team rely on the Merc engines. Ferrari are also coy on their chances at Albert Park, despite leading both championships going into the event by saying their SF-75 isn't well-suited to Melbourne's new layout. And Haas are looking like they're counting the cost of Mick Schumacher's heavy shunt at Jeddah by suggesting they're low on replacement parts for the race.
With the Australian Grand Prix being a flyway event, we probably won't see a full suite of development improvements this weekend. As such, it could be another Red Bull vs Ferrari duel at the front, with the midfield scrapping to be the closest Mercedes challenger again. But, whatever happens on Sunday, the stage is set for the best Aussie GP for years with the improved 2022 cars, four DRS zones, plus a reprofiled track explicitly designed for overtaking improvements. So it might be a 6am wake up, but there'll be no better way to start your Sunday.
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