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After Albert Park delivered essentially the most chaotic race of the 2023 season, Bernie Collins and Anthony Davidson clarify how the Australian Grand Prix might be set to shake up Components 1 as soon as extra.
Purple Bull have made a dominant begin to the season with Max Verstappen starting his quest for a fourth successive drivers’ title by main one-twos from team-mate Sergio Perez in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Solely Ferrari have to this point appeared able to making use of the slightest little bit of stress to Purple Bull, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc taking a podium every within the opening two races.
Nevertheless, after a weekend off to mirror and assessment their opening performances, the likes of Mercedes and McLaren will arrive down below with hopes of taking vital steps ahead at an Albert Park Circuit that has key variations to Jeddah regardless of being one other high-speed format.
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Fernando Alonso is tagged by Carlos Sainz which causes an extended line of accidents on the second race restart and brings out yet one more purple flag!
“I am actually wanting ahead to the race, I actually am,” Davidson advised the Sky Sports activities F1 Podcast.
“I feel we have had a little bit of a snapshot of various automobiles’ and drivers’ performances round two fairly completely different circuits in Bahrain and Jeddah, however now we have come to Melbourne, a parkland circuit which could be very excessive pace, a bit greater pace really than Jeddah and places the automobile barely into a unique window even than that of Jeddah.
“So a unique floor as effectively which produces fairly a little bit of grip, a bit extra of a front-limited circuit, so numerous completely different nuances to the observe in Melbourne that I feel may actually shake up the order.
“Notably in relation to stuff like downforce ranges that we noticed how a lot of a distinction it was from Bahrain to Jeddah, after which Melbourne sits barely greater pace, so requires just a little little bit of a distinction from the downforce as soon as once more, and hopefully you may see a bit extra of a shake-up within the order due to that.”
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Highlights of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit.
C5 tyre to offer qualifying thriller
Forward of the motion getting below approach on Friday, Sky Sports activities F1’s technique knowledgeable Bernie Collins has analysed among the key concerns for groups and drivers in Melbourne…
The truth that Albert Park is successfully a road circuit means there are enormous features to be made by drivers because the floor improves all through every session.
As we return to the standard F1 weekend format, Saturday’s qualifying is more likely to throw up loads of leisure with observe evolution set to maintain many of the subject on their toes all through.
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Alex Albon crashed out of the 2023 Australian GP to trigger a primary purple flag.
Additionally including unpredictability, notably for qualifying, is Pirelli’s determination to allocate the softest attainable assortment of tyres.
That signifies that the C5 tyre, the softest out there compound that was hardly ever utilized in pre-season testing, is ready for use for the primary time in aggressive motion.
Whereas groups can have time to check the tyre out throughout the three observe classes, observe evolution and the potential for altering circumstances in Melbourne are seemingly to make sure there will not be anyplace close to as a lot data tyre-wise as there was going into the opening two 2024 qualifying classes.
Softer tyres to vary technique outlook?
Whereas it should impression qualifying, Pirelli’s determination to deliver its softest compounds is extra about trying to create greater ranges of tyre degradation throughout Sunday’s race.
On this era of design rules, the observe has not supplied a lot of a problem on this space. In final yr’s race, nearly all of the sphere confirmed they have been able to operating the entire race on one set of arduous tyres.
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Kevin Magnussen clipped the wall and misplaced a tyre to deliver out the second purple flag of final yr’s race.
This yr, the arduous possibility might be a softer C3 versus the C2 it was then, which is more likely to no less than make sure the obligatory one cease is required, and cannot be taken as early within the race as we have seen within the final couple of years.
It stays to be seen whether or not the change might be sufficient to make a two-stopper a aggressive possibility, whereas there may be after all the likelihood that security automobile or purple flag interruptions may change issues utterly.
Quicker format to create extra drama?
After a stuttering and failed try in 2022, a fourth DRS zone was efficiently added to an up to date Albert Park format final yr.
The adjustments to the observe and further DRS zone have been supposed to create higher racing at a circuit the place overtaking has proved difficult up to now.
Whereas the adjustments undoubtedly improved the product, Albert Park stays a observe place race the place a big tempo benefit is required to drag off a go.
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Take a look at all of the funniest Components 1 moments from the 2023 Australian GP.
What did occur to boost final yr’s contest was the prevalence of three separate incidents that resulted in purple flags.
Whereas crashes for Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen cannot be instantly attributed to the extra DRS zone, the observe is as sooner than ever earlier than and clearly one the place drivers should keep full focus always.
The ultimate purple flag, which got here on the standing restart following the previous stoppage, adopted an multi-car collision that can stay on the minds of a number of drivers after they line up on the grid on Sunday.
It will likely be fascinating to see whether or not final yr’s chaos was one thing of a freak, or whether or not it is a observe that may proceed to supply up main drama.
Sky Sports activities F1’s stay Australian GP schedule
Thursday March 21
- 10.30am: Drivers’ press convention
- 9.45pm: F3 Apply
- 10.55pm: F2 Apply
Friday March 22
- 1am: Australian GP Apply One (session begins at 1.30am)
- 2.55am: F3 Qualifying
- 4.45am: Australian GP Apply Two (session begins at 5am)
- 6.25am: F2 Qualifying
- 7.15am: The F1 Present
- 8.30am: Australian GP Apply One highlights
- 10am: Australian GP observe Two highlights
Saturday March 23
- 0.10am: F3 Dash
- 1.10am: Australian GP Apply Three (session begins at 1.30am)
- 3.10am: F2 Dash
- 4.15am: Australian GP Qualifying build-up
- 5am: Australian GP Qualifying
- 7am: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book
- 7.30am: Australian GP Qualifying highlights
- 8.30am: Australian GP Qualifying replay (Sky Showcase)
- 10.30am: Australian GP Qualifying replay
- 10pm: F3 Function Race
Sunday March 24
- 0.30am: F2 Function Race
- 3am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday
- 4am: THE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
- 6am: Australian GP response: Chequered flag
- 7am: Ted’s Pocket book
- 7.30am: Australian GP highlights
- 8.30am: Australian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday replay
- 9.30am: Australian GP race replay
- 10am: Australian GP highlights (Sky Showcase)
- 11.30am: Australian GP response: Chequered flag replay
Components 1’s largest ever season continues with the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, with Sunday’s race stay on Sky Sports activities F1 at 4am. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – just £21 a month for 12 months. No contract, cancel anytime
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