F1 returns to Australia after 3 years, on revamped track

MELBOURNE:  Formula One returns to Australia for the first time in three years on Sunday and Daniel Ricciardo hopes the break – and track renovations he had a say in determining – will help turn around his fortunes on his home circuit.

McLaren driver Ricciardo and his F1 rivals are preparing for a new Albert Park layout at the Australian Grand Prix – they won't drive on the redesigned, resurfaced circuit until Friday’s two practice sessions ahead of qualifying Saturday.

The Australian driver’s input resulted two corners being removed and five others widened in a bid to offer more overtaking opportunity on the circuit.

“Not taking credit, but I was a little bit involved in the talks about revamping the circuit a few years ago when they had the first idea of what to do to try to make the racing a bit better,” Ricciardo said.

“It has always been a fun track but on Sundays it has been a little bit tricky for overtaking just through the layout and the nature of it. As a race now you’re going to see a totally different Sunday here in Melbourne.”

Defending F1 series champion Max Verstappen, who won the second race of the season in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, said he’s pleased to be back in Australia after the 2020 and 2021 GPs were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been a while . . . the atmosphere is always so good there too,” Verstappen said. “It will be interesting to see the track updates, I think they will make quite a big difference, especially in Turn Six where the most significant change has happened. There should be more overtaking opportunities now, too, which is always positive.”

Ricciardo said it was particularly hard to take when the 2020 event – at the pandemic's global start – was called off