By Joe Murphy
With the third instalment of the 2022 Formula 1 season around the corner, all eyes will shift to Melbourne this weekend for the first Grand Prix in the country since the pandemic began. With the circuit modified since the last race at this venue, there is cause for optimism that the racing will be improved compared with previous races. As a result, we are expecting to get more overtaking and competition across the grid. With continuous questions hovering over both teams and drivers across the grid, let’s take a sneak preview into how events could unfold from Albert Park.
A third different winner of the season illustrates the most competitive season in 15 years…
It takes a brave journalist to predict this, but Wheel2Wheel is famed for going out on a limb (both successfully and unsuccessfully). Neither Charles Leclerc nor Max Verstappen will win this race. The reason could be contact between the pair. This season is already teed up incredibly nicely, with more of a closely fought battle than the sport has seen in years. The question remains, who will win the 2022 Australian Grand Prix? Sainz? Perez? Like Bahrain, I will go with the former to take the 25 points and, subsequently, the Championship lead.
Will Danny Ricciardo have a happy homecoming?
After a multi-year hiatus from the venue, Daniel Ricciardo has been waiting an excruciatingly long time to right the wrongs of his last outing. His 2019 retirement during his days with Renault was the combination of ridiculously bad luck and mechanical failures. Fast-forward to this week, he has been welcomed back like a hero by Australian fans. The slight problem is that this isn’t the 2021 McLaren, it’s the 2022 version. Ricciardo, still pointless and enduring a torrid start to the campaign so far, couldn’t choose a better place to kick off his season in yet another instalment of career redemption. Whilst a podium looks like a stretch and a half, a points finish would please both the driver and the fans, alike.
Can Mercedes bounce back?
In December, literally five months ago, if a Mercedes didn’t lap a Haas, something was wrong. Now, the Silver Arrows can barely keep up with Kevin Magnussen’s car. A momentous swing in fortunes has left the reigning Constructors Champions is a midfield battle, make no mistake about it. They do, however, host two of the best drivers on the grid and with Russell and Hamilton in your ranks, you’ve always got a chance. A podium for the team isn’t out of the realms of possibility, and you should expect Lewis to forget about Saudi Arabia and beat his teammate once again.
Time for Mick to get his first points?
Speaking of Haas, poor Mick Schumacher. He has been overshadowed by his current teammate, his former teammate and his Team Principal so far this year. As previously referenced, Haas has suddenly become a competitive car again, and Mick has to take full advantage of this. He was close in Bahrain, was unlucky in Jeddah and third time will surely be the charm. The young German will be in a celebratory mood Sunday night in Melbourne, should be cement a ninth or tenth place finish. However, despite this being one of Kevin Magnussen’s favourite tracks, in terms of the head-to-head battle, maybe this week is the week the younger driver comes out on top.
Seb is back!
As nice as it was to see Nico Hulkenberg back in Formula 1, I think we all missed Sebastian Vettel. The grid looks pale without him, a scary omen for when the German four-time World Champion calls it a day. Aston Martin have endured a dreadful start to the campaign, emphasized by Seb’s Covid absence. The other problem is that Seb may be a tad rusty and he’s not exactly stepping into the quickest car on the grid. A finish anywhere near the points would be a bonus, it’s just may be slightly too optimistic. It could be a long weekend for the German.
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