Get ready for a record four DRS zones at Albert Park

Date published: April 4 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
It has been confirmed that four DRS zones will be active at the Australian Grand Prix, the highest number yet in Formula 1.

Not since 2020 has Formula 1 visited Albert Park, home of the Australian Grand Prix, but one must go further back still to find the last time that the series went racing around the venue.

Although Formula 1 personnel showed up for the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, which was set to kick-off that season, the global pandemic had started to take hold and the race weekend was shelved shortly before the light would have gone green for FP1.

The Australian Grand Prix was later cancelled, the same happening in 2021.

However, plenty of work has been going on in Formula 1’s absence, with the track undergoing a redesign which it is hoped will vastly improve the quality of racing and open up more overtaking opportunities.

Detailing the changes previously, Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott, said, as told Motorsport.com: “Five seconds a lap quicker, but [with] the new-spec cars, closer racing.

“You can actually tail the car in front and expect to be able to overtake and be in a competitive position.

“The main location is Turn 11 at the south end of the lake near Ross Gregory Drive and Ross Gregory Oval. We expect that to be a major overtaking opportunity.

“The widening of five other turns, particularly the increase of speed at Turn 6 where they’re going to go from about 90 km/h to 150 km/h, that really does set it up for speeds in excess of 330 k /h around Lakeside [Drive], pulling four and a half Gs.”

The track has also been reduced from 16 to 14 corners, but yet, we will see more DRS zones than ever before.

The first zone will be active down the main straight, the detection line positioned on the approach to Turn 13.

There will then be another DRS zone in the run from Turn 2 down to Turn 3.

Coming out of Turn 6, this is where the first DRS detection point of that lap will be, as drivers then power all the way through to Turn 9.

And to provide a further pace boost, the driver will be able to activate DRS after leaving Turn 8, the zone ending as the heavy braking point of Turn 9 arrives.

Formula 1's budget cap is harder on Swiss-based Alfa Romeo.

That is the view of the Sauber-run team's technical boss Jan Monchaux, who told motorsport-magazin.com: "Have you ever been to a restaurant in Switzerland?

"The problem is that the budget cap does not currently compensate for the differences in the cost of living between countries."

Indeed, the vast bulk of the F1 teams are based in the UK, with Ferrari and Alpha Tauri operating out of Italy.

Sauber, on the other hand, have operated from the Zurich Oberland region since its founding by Peter Sauber in the early 90s.

"We all have $140 million available," Monchaux said.

"But compared to a team that might be based in England or Italy with the same number of staff, we have a relatively big payroll problem.

"In the end, that eats up 20 to 30 percent and a lot of potential that would otherwise be in the car. That's the price of being at home here."

With 15 minutes to go in first free practice, Vettel suffered a loss of power, forcing him to pull up his AMR22 car at the side of the track at Turn 10.

After the chequered flag, Vettel used a marshal's scooter to make his way back to the pitlane, running on the final sector of the track.

The FIA soon launched an investigation as Vettel was deemed to have re-entered the track within five minutes of the end of a session without permission.

On Friday night the stewards handed the German a 5,000 euro fine for his scooter-based adventure.

Vettel said he had received permission from the marshal to use the scooter to enter the circuit, but the stewards deemed that neither he nor the marshal had received approval from race control to use the circuit itself rather than the usual perimeter road.

That meant the four-time world champion breached Article 26.7 of F1's sporting regulations, which will cost him a 5,000 euro fine.

The FIA statement read: "At the end of the session, VET sought a way to return to his pit. A marshal was at the location with a scooter. VET asked if he could drive the scooter in order to return to his pit. The marshal assented. VET got on the scooter, expecting the marshal to get on behind him.

"When he didn't get on, VET departed alone for the pit, without the prior approval to do so. Meanwhile, the marshal was trying to contact Race Control for instructions.

"In driving on the track to his pit, instead of the designated route, VET breached Article 26.7 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations, which prohibits anyone from being on the track in the five-minute period after the end of a session, with the exception of specifically identified personnel, which makes no provision for drivers to have such access unless specifically authorized."

Vettel, who is making his first 2022 grand prix appearance after sitting out the first two races of the season with COVID-19, took the opportunity to greet the fans on his leisurely scooter ride back to the paddock.

After placing 13th in FP1, Vettel took no part in second free practice, Aston Martin deciding to swap his Mercedes engine following the issue.

After months of speculation that point to the companies joining F1, a short statement issued after a board meeting on Thursday formally laid out the road map for its involvement.

While there was no confirmation that it had given the final green light to an entry, as had been anticipated, it was made clear that both Audi and Porsche would likely get the go-ahead once the 2026 engine rules were finalised by the FIA.

Both companies have been clear that the new engine formula coming into play for that date must be cost effective, and do away with complex technology like the MGU-H that other manufacturers have had a head start with.

In a short statement issued after Thursday’s meeting, it was confirmed that both Audi and Porsche discussed plans for a ‘potential F1 entry’.

It said: “This gives our company the opportunity to demonstrate "Vorsprung durch Technik" in the pinnacle of motorsport from 2026.

“We have not yet made a decision as we are currently in the final evaluation phase. At this point, the new regulations for 2026 and subsequent years are not yet available. These will set out far-reaching changes to make the sport more sustainable, which is a prerequisite for Audi’s possible entry.

“Audi Sport is discussing these matters directly with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Our decision will be announced as soon it has been made.”

While there is not yet an official go-ahead for the entry, the plans for Porsche and Audi in F1 are understood to be quite advanced though.

On the Porsche front, it looks almost certain to tie-up with Red Bull from 2026, where it could make use of the team’s new powertrains division to help fast-track its arrival as a competitive force in F1.

In terms of Audi’s potential partnerships, its plans are not so concrete.

It has been most strongly linked with the McLaren team, but sources have indicated that the chances of a deal appear to be fading.

With Audi wanting to take ownership of a team rather than just be engine supplier, it has been suggested that the option of a McLaren takeover may be too expensive and not something that the Woking-based team is especially eager for.

That has opened the door for other opportunities, with speculation suggesting that Aston Martin could now be in the frame for an Audi partnership.

Sources have suggested that talks have already taken place, and the opportunity of an Audi buyout could offer an alternative long-term plan for Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll, whose outfit has failed to make progress in F1 since its rebranding last year.

It’s the dictionary definition of rubbing salt in the wound: Aston Martin had a weekend to forget at the Australian Grand Prix after crashes, fines and no points scored, and now multiple drivers have put the boot in by claiming the brand’s safety car is too slow. Ouch.

Let’s recap quickly. Aston’s week started badly when Sebastian Vettel was fined for his bizarre post-breakdown scooter ride in Friday practice. Already short of running having missed two races with Covid, he didn’t get out again until FP3, where both cars crashed.

Then in qualifying Lance Stroll collided with Williams’ Nicholas Latifi, and although the resulting red flag gave the team time to finish fixing Vettel’s car, he could only manage 17th on the grid.

If anything, the race was even worse. Vettel ran wide over the gravel early and soon crashed out altogether, while Stroll was penalised for weaving on his way to 12th place. With Alex Albon grabbing tenth with a remarkable strategy, Aston Martin left Melbourne as the only team yet to score a championship point.

And now even the safety car has come under fire. After retiring from the race Max Verstappen claimed that the Vantage safety car - driven by former DTM driver Bernd Maylander - wasn’t fast enough to allow the drivers to reheat their tyres properly.

After the chequered flag had fallen, race winner Charles Leclerc explained: “I was struggling massively to put some temperature in them. To be honest, I wanted to complain, but then I checked how much the safety car was sliding in the corner and I don't think there was anything more that he could give.” That’s got to sting.

Then fellow podium finisher (and, er, Mercedes driver) George Russell pointed out: “We don't have the issue with the Mercedes-AMG [a GT Black Series, which alternates with the Vantage] safety car! On a serious note the Mercedes-AMG is like five seconds a lap quicker, which is pretty substantial.” Ruthless brand awareness, George.

Aston Martin has the heaviest car on Formula 1's 2022 grid - but Red Bull isn't far behind.

But while Red Bull's reigning world champion Max Verstappen is still competitive, the same cannot be said of Aston Martin - particularly after the team's nightmare Australian GP.

"The car has potential, but we have problems with aerodynamics and weight," admitted new team boss Mike Krack.

"We've already made progress with weight, but not with the aero. The bouncing is like a wall for development. It's very frustrating."

One analysis shows that Aston Martin's car weighs 815kg - some 17kg over the minimum weight which was raised by a further 3kg just prior to Melbourne.

Red Bull comes next at 810kg, followed by Mercedes (806), McLaren (805), Haas (803), and Williams, Alfa Romeo and Alpha Tauri (all 800). Championship leader Ferrari's car also tips the scales at a reported 800kg.

"Our car clearly weighs more than Ferrari," Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko admits. "I think there's a gap of about 10kg.

"If we translate that into laptime, it's about 3 tenths per lap. Losing weight, however, is expensive. It's primarily a financial issue but also linked with reliability factors.

"It's a difficult problem to solve due to the budget cap," the Austrian added.

One of the lighter teams, at about 800kg, is Alpine, whose CEO Laurent Rossi is opposed to moves by some other outfits to see the budget cap raised due to inflation.

"Rules are rules," Rossi said. "It would be wrong to start watering down the concept of the budget cap now.

"Formula 1 is so interesting at the moment because the big teams can no longer put as much money into their cars as they used to. If it's really just about the freight costs, then we'd have to make sure a subsidy is used exclusively for that."

The 3.36-mile Miami International Autodrome, which is built around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, has been designed and overseen by Apex Circuit Design. Its anticlockwise layout is expected to produce an F1 lap time of 1m35s and an average lap speed of just under 135mph.

“We’re in the final stages of this incredible circuit that will host the first-ever Formula 1 race in Miami,” said Cregan, the Miami GP’s CEO. “We are delighted with the progress we have made and it’s a huge credit to the hard work of the team here in Miami, in consultation with both Formula 1 and the FIA to get this circuit finished in a tight timeline.

“We have tried to create a track that drivers love to race on and a campus that offers unique, best-in-class fan experiences; and we can’t wait for the first weekend in May to be here.”

Work on the circuit started in April 2021 and all permanent structures, including the pit building and race control, are now close to completion. Barrier installation began in February, and the final lift of asphalt laying was completed in March, well ahead of the FIA’s deadline.

The focus in the final weeks has now shifted to the final fit of the temporary structures around the venue, as well as painting the run-off areas in ‘Miami blue’.

“There has been no compromise on any aspect of the circuit design or quality of construction,” added Cregan, who formerly oversaw the Yas Marina and Sochi F1 tracks. “In my experience of working with new venues over the years, I’ve never seen as much effort on perfecting the surface of the track as we have done in Miami.

“Everything was exactly per the design, and everyone involved in construction has done an incredible job.”

Over the past 12 months, 24,000 tons of asphalt have been laid with specialist R3 devising a mix of Georgia granite and Florida lime rock.

Over the past 12 months, 24,000 tons of asphalt have been laid with specialist R3 devising a mix of Georgia granite and Florida lime rock.

Miami Gardens residents trying to prevent Formula One racing from coming to Hard Rock Stadium in less than three weeks must show why noise from the first Miami Grand Prix would be so severe that they would “suffer actual injury,” a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge said on Monday. Judge Alan Fine asked the residents to provide an explanation in a court filing by Tuesday. The judge will then decide whether the issue is urgent enough to warrant an emergency hearing before the weekend-long event begins May 6.

Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc escaped unharmed after being robbed of his $320,000 Richard Mille watch in Italy on Monday night.

Leclerc reportedly had the watch snatched while with friends and his trainer, Andrea Ferrari, in the Tuscan city of Viareggio.

According to reports in Italian media, Ferrari driver Leclerc was recognised by fans who stopped him for autographs and photographs. In the crowd that quickly formed around him, a thief managed to remove the watch from Leclerc's left wrist.

Leclerc's trainer, Ferrari, posted to Instagram: "Via Salvatori has been completely in the dark for months. We have been reporting this for months.

"Well, yesterday evening in Via Salvatori, they have robbed us. Think of arranging the lamps sooner or later? Asking for a friend."

It is unclear whether anything else was stolen during the incident.

Local police have launched an investigation.

It is not the first instance of a Richard Mille watch being taken from the wrist of an F1 driver. McLaren's Lando Norris had a prototype Richard Mille stolen during the crowd trouble that followed the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley Stadium last summer.

F1 hosts its first sprint race of 2022 during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola following the format’s introduction at three rounds in the 2021 season at Silverstone, Monza and Interlagos.

Following a review of sprint race, changes have been made covering a wide range of issues to help improve the format both for fans and teams as F1 continues to experiment with the new format.

Here’s an explanation on the current F1 sprint race format and what is new for 2022.

What is a sprint race?

A sprint race is essentially a shortened version of a normal race, taking place over a shorter distance. They’re used in many other series, though perhaps most notably for Formula 1 is their inclusion in the Formula 2 race weekend. In F2 the sprint race is 120km and the feature race covers 170km, though are usually no less exciting.

F1 has introduced sprint races to ramp up the excitement of the whole race weekend, providing fans with a competitive session on each of the three days of track action (with qualifying moved to Friday afternoon) and it is hoped to make it an overall better experience. F1 has long been looking to make changes to the traditional race weekend format and while other options like reverse grid races were considered, they were ultimately unfancied compared to sprint races.

Each sprint race will be run over 100km (down from the normal race distance of 305km), and will take around 25-30 minutes. The starting order for the sprint race will be decided by a traditional qualifying session held on Friday afternoon.

What’s changing for 2022?

Following F1’s review and analysis of the sprint format at three events last year, a number of tweaks have been introduced for this season following feedback from fans and teams.

Venues

Imola, the Red Bull Ring and Interlagos will host the three sprint races in 2022 after Silverstone, Monza and Interlagos held the inaugural trio last year.

F1 had targeted running six F1 sprint race weekends in 2022, with the other three at Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands GPs, but this plan was dropped as part of a compromise over the level of compensation for accident damage potentially picked up in the sprint races by teams.

Points

The points on offer in each F1 sprint race has increased from last year. The winner will now pick up eight points, rather than three, with points extending down to eighth place when previously it had been only the top three who picked up points. The points will apply to both the F1 world drivers’ and constructors’ championships.

Points will be awarded as follows: 1st 8 points, 2nd 7 points, 3rd 6 points, 4th 5 points, 5th 4 points, 6th 3 points, 7th 2 points, 8th 1 point.

Like last year the finishing order in the F1 sprint race will decide the grid for the grand prix, with any grid penalties applied after the sprint.

Pole position

This year the driver who sets the fastest time in Q3 of qualifying on Friday night will be given the pole position status for the grand prix regardless of their finishing position in the sprint race on Saturday.

This means the driver who wins the sprint race won’t necessarily be credited with the pole position for the grand prix even if they start the Sunday race from first place.

For example, if Friday’s top qualifier finished in second place in the sprint race, and the driver who qualified second won the sprint race, the Friday’s top qualifier would still be credited with pole position despite starting the grand prix from second place behind the sprint race winner in first place.

Team costs

A major sticking point for the 2022 sprint races was the cost cap, with a compromise agreed to increase teams’ budget as well as reducing the number of sprint races down from six to three for this season.

According to F1 regulations, each team will be permitted to spend $150,000 more per sprint race, with an added $100,000 allowed if one of the team’s cars retires from the sprint. An extra adjustment to the cost cap can be made to cover crash damage if it leads to the retirement of a team’s car.

Sprint name

The name of the Saturday afternoon event has been officially changed from sprint qualifying to just the sprint.

What’s the sprint race weekend format?

The sprint race weekend format will remain unchanged, with one 60-minute practice session before qualifying on Friday and then a second 60-minute practice session before the sprint race on Saturday. The Sunday grand prix also remains unchanged.

The sprint race weekend format:

Friday early afternoon – 60-minute Free Practice 1
Friday late afternoon – Q1, Q2, Q3 sessions to order the starting grid for the sprint race
Saturday morning – 60-minute Free Practice 2
Saturday afternoon – 100km sprint race qualifying
Sunday afternoon – Full grand prix

A regular F1 grand prix weekend format:

Friday early afternoon – 60-minute Free Practice 1
Friday late afternoon – 60-minute Free Practice 2
Saturday morning – 60-minute Free Practice 3
Saturday afternoon – Q1, Q2, Q3 sessions to order the starting grid for the grand prix
Sunday afternoon – Full grand prix

When will the sprint races be in 2022?

Three F1 sprint races will take place across the 2022 season, the same number as last year. As a result, Imola, the Red Bull Ring and Interlagos will host the F1 sprint races this year. Last year, Silverstone, Monza and Interlagos hosted the sprint races.

Formula 1 is having what the internet would definitely call a struggle with its cars this year. Out-of-control porpoising and nearly every team's build going way overweight are two of the most fundamental issues that engineers are wrestling with as they try to bring mid-season upgrades. Porpoising is having mixed results as teams fumble for a solution on their specific cars, but one thing most are agreeing on is that you can strip off paint to make the car lighter.

Indeed, F1 cars are now the heaviest they've ever been. The original regulations put them at a minimum weight—which is to say, the weight teams want to get absolutely closest to while designing the car—of 795 kilograms, or 1,753 pounds. Even that wasn't enough, though, with teams bargaining for a three kg increase after the first testing sessions.

The argument was that because F1 cars have a lot more common parts in 2022, as a cost-saving measure, teams are powerless to make savings in some places like the new, 18-inch wheels. Rather than teams sourcing or even fashioning their own wheels, now F1's rollers are all supplied by BBS, so there's no option for teams to vary what they're doing with them. There's a pretty extensive laundry list of other common parts to the 2022 cars, including things like the lift pump that appeared to be what failed on both Red Bull cars in Bahrain.

That might all sound a bit over-dramatic, seeing as teams do still construct their own chassis from scratch, sidepods or not, so there's a huge amount of scope to redistribute or change the weight of the cars. But F1 is in the fine margins, of course, and one of the finer ones teams are toying with has been stripping paint off their cars to leave exposed carbon fiber in place of a livery.

​​​​​​​One of the teams that has recently changed its livery up to save a few ounces is Williams, which had substantially more bare carbon fiber visible on its car in Australia than it did at the season opener in Bahrain.

This isn't the first time that F1 teams have gotten extreme about paint to save weight; Red Bull and Ferrari moved to matte-look cars in order to save weight by using lighter paint under the previous regulations. And paint plays a big role in the way an F1 car behaves—it needs to be perfectly smooth for the aerodynamics not to be interrupted and have the right thermal effect on the car.

Teams this year are already struggling with overheating (Alpine, Alfa Romeo and Red Bull all suffered retirements from it in Bahrain) and that gets worse or at least is a risk if you're running bare carbon fiber. Not only do teams have to work out where they can shave paint off without offending sponsors, then, but they have to be strategic about avoiding any places where the paint might actually be part of what thermally manages the car.

It might sound minor to be taking paint off but everything on an F1 car is pretty critically managed. Aston Martin said that it'd managed to strip as much as 12.3 ounces off its car since the start of the season. With some teams alleged to be as much as 10 kg (22 pounds) over the minimum weight, that's a significant saving.

The court challenge by local residents to halt the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on the grounds of damage to hearing due to noise from the event has been denied.

This clears the final roadblock for the event to take place as planned at the Hard Rock Stadium site in Miami Gardens on 6-8 May.

Judge Alan Fine, who was being asked to grant a special hearing that would block the race from happening, found that “any potential harm is avoidable” in terms of hearing damage – despite the plaintiffs bringing forth new evidence as requested.

“The bottom line here is I’m not going to schedule a preliminary injunction hearing prior to 6 May,” Fine said. He then listed a series of reasons why that “compelled” him to make the decision.

“Two are more important than the rest,” he added. “Although the burden may seem unfair to the plaintiffs [the residents], I do find that any potential harm is avoidable.

“In combination with that, the evidence proffered so far regarding the potential hearing loss is, in my view, very highly speculative.

"It is not based on any current Formula 1 noise information, and the most recent affidavit from overnight does not take into consideration the south wall [a noise barrier previously erected at the venue].”

Judge Fine also ruled that the belated date of this lawsuit, lodged on 21 March, also had a bearing on his decision.

“The other co-equal reason is the delay in bringing this action in seeking injunctive relief,” he added.

“I’m not persuaded by the legal soundness of waiting to file until a special events permit was issued.”

Judge Fine did not rule out scope for further court proceedings after the race occurs in 2022, adding that he would expect a “full-blown evidentiary hearing in four-five months” after the 8 May race takes place.

Sound monitoring will be carried out by the stadium, as part of its obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding that is part of the event’s contract with the city.

The judge also ordered that one of these sites must be located in or near residential areas.

Ferrari have rewarded Carlos Sainz’s fine form with a fresh two-year contract that will keep him at the famous Formula 1 team until at least the end of 2024.

The Spaniard had a stellar debut season with Ferrari last year, scoring points in all but two races and reaching the podium four times on his way to a career-best fifth place in the standings, two places above team mate Charles Leclerc.

Last month, former Toro Rosso, Renault and McLaren driver Sainz said he was “extremely close” to signing a new deal with Ferrari, and in the days leading up to Ferrari’s first home race of the season at Imola, an agreement was reached.

"I am very happy to have renewed my contract with Scuderia Ferrari. I have always said that there is no better Formula 1 team to race for and after over a year with them, I can confirm that putting on this race suit and representing this team is unique and incomparable,” said Sainz.

“My first season at Maranello was solid and constructive, with the whole group progressing together. The result of all that work has been clear to see so far season.

"I feel strengthened by this renewed show of confidence in me and now I can’t wait to get in the car, to do my best for Ferrari and to give its fans plenty to cheer about. The F1-75 is proving to be a front-runner, which can allow me to chase my goals on track, starting with taking my first Formula 1 win."

Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto said: "I have said several times that I believe we have the best driver pairing in Formula 1 and so, with every passing race, it seemed a completely natural step to extend Carlos’s contract, thus ensuring stability and continuity. In his time so far with the team, he has proved to have the talent we expected from him, delivering impressive results and making the most of all opportunities.

​​​​​​​Outside the car, he is a hard worker with an eye for the smallest detail, which has helped the whole group to improve and progress. Together, we can aim for ambitious targets and I’m sure that, along with Charles, he can play a significant part in fuelling the Ferrari legend and will write new chapters in the history of our team."

His new deal brings him in line with Leclerc, with both drivers now contracted to Ferrari until at least the end of 2024.

Sainz, who has 143 Grand Prix race starts, currently sits third in the drivers’ standings on 33 points, having finished second and third respectively in the opening two races before retiring early last time out in Australia.