Two years after the Australian Grand Prix was scrapped on account of COVID-19 hours earlier than the primary follow, Formula One returns Down Under to an upgraded Albert Park and a heat welcome from native followers starved of elite motorsport by the pandemic.
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Plenty has modified since Valtteri Bottas gained the 2019 race for Mercedes in Melbourne, kicking off one other season dominated by former teammate Lewis Hamilton and the Silver Arrows.
In its first improve in 1 / 4 of a century, Albert Park has been re-surfaced and had corners eliminated to encourage passing and hopefully put an finish to processional race days.
Mercedes and Hamilton, in the meantime, have fallen off their perch, leaving Ferrari and Red Bull the discuss of the paddock after the season-opening swing by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The Ferrari automotive’s early power and the budding rivalry between Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen have motorsport pundits raving.
Whether it’s renewed curiosity within the collection or only a spell of balmy autumn climate, followers thronged Albert Park on Thursday and bumper crowds are tipped by the weekend in a metropolis which spent some 260 days locked down by the pandemic.
”The drivers are smiling, followers are smiling and the climate gods are smiling on us,” Australian Grand Prix Corporation boss Andrew Westacott advised Reuters.
”It’s a a lot, a lot faster circuit and I count on it’s going to provide nice racing on the weekend.”
Many followers will hope meaning extra duelling between Dutchman Verstappen and fellow 24-year-old Leclerc, whose battles lit up the Middle Eastern double-header.
Verstappen, who had a non-finish at Bahrain however bounced again as a winner in Saudi Arabia, mentioned he would favor to keep away from going wheel-to-wheel with Leclerc by driving an improved automotive.
”For the viewers, it’s good,” he mentioned on Thursday of their rivalry which dates again to their go-karting days.
”Of course, I benefit from the battles however I’m additionally extra centered on truly making an attempt to make the automotive higher and to get a greater feeling within the automotive, after which hopefully we don’t have to battle in each single race.”
Verstappen mentioned Red Bull had made ”little steps” growing their automotive since Jeddah however stopped wanting tipping a giant weekend in Melbourne.
”We’ll do our greatest however in the meanwhile we don’t know the way the automotive’s going to carry out,” he mentioned.
Mercedes may also fall into that camp, having produced a automotive that bounces, or ’porpoises’, on the straights as downforce comes and goes.
After Hamilton completed tenth in Jeddah and his new teammate George Russell got here fifth, the crew are 40 factors behind Ferrari, and only one away from Red Bull who suffered twin retirements in Bahrain.
Team boss Toto Wolff warned there could be no ”magic repair” for the W13 automotive’s troubles in time for Sunday’s race.
”But we’re pushing to steadily carry features over the upcoming races, to hopefully transfer us nearer to the entrance of the pack.”
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel could also be grateful simply to be racing, after lacking the primary two rounds on account of a constructive COVID-19 take a look at.
The Aston Martin driver’s seat was stuffed by Nico Hulkenberg however he makes his return in Melbourne, hoping to notch his crew’s first factors of the season.
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