After two years – the FIA Formula 1 World Championship is back.
 
The world’s best drivers have arrived at Albert Park for the Formula 1 Heineken Australian Grand Prix and there is a certain buzz around Melbourne that fans have missed for a long time.
 
There was plenty of anticipation surrounding this year’s Grand Prix with Australians having had to wait patiently for its return – and of course there are plenty of things to look out for. 
 
Firstly, Daniel Ricciardo is no longer in yellow and black, or blue for that matter.
 
The West Australian is now in his second year wearing the papaya orange of McLaren and although he hasn’t had the start he would have hoped for, a simila result to the 2021 Italian Grand Prix in front of home fans would be the perfect antidote to kick start his ill-fated season.


Two rounds have already been run in the 2022 season and Ricciardo has failed to score points in either race, while teammate Lando Norris hasn’t done much better.
 
Adding to their woes is the fact that their direct rivals in recent years, Ferrari, seem to have perfected the new gen cars for the moment – which will be in Australia for the first time.
 
Ferrari currently lead the way with Charles Leclerc on top the standings for the first time in his career after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix and finishing second in Saudi Arabia, while teammate and former McLaren driver Carlos Sainz sits second.
 
Scuderia hasn’t been the only team to improve during the off-season either.
 
Both of last year’s cellar dwellers in Haas and Alfa Romeo seemed to have found another gear this year, with Kevin Magnusson (Haas) and Valtteri Bottas (Alfa) both inside the top 10 after two races.
 
Bottas is capable of a good result in Australia too with the Finn having won the last official race in 2019 in addition to securing a podium place in 2017.
 
However, being in a different team won’t be the only obstacle that Bottas will have to navigate through this weekend in order to replicate his previous successes.
 
This year will serve as the first opportunity for Bottas, Ricciardo and many of the other drivers to see the newly renovated circuit.


For those who have missed the memo, the Albert Park track circuit will be quite different this year after some much needed fixes.
 
The most notable change is the removal of the chicane at Turns 9 and 10, which now sees Turn 6 run all the way to the sweeping Turns 11 and 12.
 
Turn 6 has also been widened, along with Turns 1, 3, 11 and 13, while the track has also been resurfaced for the first time since Formula 1 ran in Melbourne.
 
Finally, on top of the new cars, new circuit and old faces in new teams, there will also be a number of new drivers that Aussie fans will see for the first time, those being Yuki Tsunoda, Guanyu Zhou, Mick Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi.
 
Add the popular Repco Supercars Championship, S5000 Australian Drivers Championship and Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship as support categories – and this weekend is shaping up to be quite an exciting one.
 
The Formula 1 Australian Heineken Australian Grand Prix takes place in Albert Park on 7-10 April with the official FIA Formula 1 World Championship race on Sunday at 3pm AEST. 

F1 Schedule 
Friday 8 April
1:00 – 2:00pm Practice 1
4:00 – 5:00pm Practice 2
 
Saturday 9 April
1:00 – 2:00pm Practice 3
4:00 – 5:00pm Qualifying
 
Sunday 10 April
1:00 – 2:00pm Drivers’ Parade
3:00 – 5:00pm Race
 
(All times are AEST) 

Click here for a full track schedule. 

F1 Entry list 
Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen  
Guanyu Zhou
Valtteri Bottas
 
Scuderia AlphaTauri  
Pierre Gasly  
Yuki Tsunoda

BWT Alpine F1 Team
Fernando Alonso
Esteban Ocon

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team
Sebastian Vettel
Lance Stroll

Scuderia Ferrari  
Charles Leclerc
Carlos Sainz Jr.

Haas F1 Team  
Kevin Magnussen
Mick Schumacher

McLaren F1 Team  
Daniel Ricciardo
Lando Norris

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team  
Lewis Hamilton
George Russell

Oracle Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen
Sergio Pérez

Williams Racing  
Nicholas Latifi
Alexander Albon

2019 Top 10
1. Valtteri Bottas
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Max Verstappen
4. Sebastian Vette
5. Charles Leclerc
6. Kevin Magnussen
7. Nico Hulkenberg
8. Kimi Räikkönen
9. Lance Stroll
10. Daniil Kvyat