THEY'RE BAAAACK!

The return of the FORMULA 1 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX to Melbourne this month is causing quite a stir in the Victorian capital...

- STEWART BELL

It's all eyes on Melbourne's Albert Park in April, with Formula One returning to Australia for the first time since COVID-19 forced the 2020 event's cancellation at the eleventh hour - just a few hours before practice was scheduled to kick-off. And it'll be a euphoric celebration, given the terror of the past two years. However, nothing has stood still here - with the race organisers going all-out to ensure the event is better than ever. This means big changes for what will become the 25th F1 Australian Grand Prix.

The one the drivers will be talking about will be the track itself, with the layout tweaked for more passing without losing any of the original character. Overall, the lap has been shortened by 72 metres to 5.231 kilometres, with now 14 not 16 turns, and a new forecasted top speed of 330 kilometres per hour. But, the real benefits are expected from opened-up turns one, three, six and 13. The former Clark chicane has become an extended back straight with DRS, while the now-turn 11 has been straightened and widened. The expected result is that lap times should drop by around five seconds, with Albert Park set to become one of the top-five fastest tracks on the calendar.

The track has also been resurfaced for the first time in over 25 years, which the organisers hope will encourage Fl's sole tyre supplier Pirelli to bring its softest compounds for maximum grip. “For the technically minded, [the new track surface has] a higher level of micro and macro abrasion, which is going to play into the hands of the Fl strategists," says Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott. And the fans have already voted with their feet, feverishly snapping-up tickets like never before to see the pinnacle of motorsport. That's led the organisers to add five new grandstands, and expand capacity in others.