In what concluded in a dominating victory for Charles Leclerc, there were significant other stories that unfurled throughout.
Follow Us
The 2022 edition of the Australians Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne on Sunday saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc record a dominant victory. The Monegasque finished in P1, a whopping 20 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez who finished P2. Max Verstappen looked set to take P2 at one point but the Dutchman’s car ran into trouble with hydraulics, which forced him to retire. It was a good day for Mercedes as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished P3 and P4 respectively. McLaren also seemed to drag themselves out of their recent troubles as Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo finished P6 and P7 respectively. In what was a race of a lot of stories, here are the top five takeaways from Sunday.
The thing about Ferrari is that ever since the turbo-hybrid era began, they never lived up to expectations. Yes, Mercedes dominated over everybody and were next to impossible to challenge, but Ferrari often found themselves indulging in a mid-table fight to be the best of the rest. People had started writing them off so it is natural for the team’s success in the first couple of races seems like a flash in a pan.
Read More – Australian GP 2022: Charles Leclerc takes dominating win as Max Verstappen retires
However, if the Australian GP has taught us anything, it is simply the fact that Charles Leclerc has finally found the car of his dreams. The Monegasque just cannot seem to put a foot wrong and the manner of his win at Albert Park stands as proof of this. Yes, Max Verstappen could not finish the race but winning by a margin of close to 20 seconds is a whole new level of domination.
A massive factor of Max Verstappen winning the world championship last season was Honda. The Japanese car constructor had been the engine supplier for the Milton-Keynes-based team for quite a while, but things changed in 2022. Red Bull powertrains, Red Bull’s very own power unit department is now responsible for manufacturing a flawless Formula One engine.
The mission, so far, has not been a successful one. The first race saw both Verstappen and Sergio Perez DNF due to a fuel issue. Christian Horner, at the time, had said that the team had sorted the issues with the cars, and it did seem like it the next weekend. In Jeddah, Verstappen won the race and Perez came fourth. Fans had hoped to see a tight battle between Leclerc and the Dutchman until the end in Australia.
However, a hydraulics issue forced Verstappen to retire in Albert Park, something that left the reigning champion fuming. The Dutchman seemed quite concerned about the fire catching on fire so it can be assumed that the issue was leakage-related. If they are to have any chance of winning the constructor’s championship, Red Bull must sort their problems out and it would be best if they do it before the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Team advisor Helmut Marko has already said that the car will be lighter but it is to be seen whether that will be the only change.
Disappointing would be the word to use if one has to summarize Mercedes’ start to the 2022 season. The eight-time world champions look nowhere near their best and it doesn’t seem like they will anytime soon. However, in Melbourne, the team showed real signs of progress and improvement. George Russell earned his first podium with the team this season while Lewis Hamilton drove an excellent race. There still are issues with pace and reliability but the Silver Arrows are on the right track for now.
It was two weekends of disappointment for the Woking-based team but Australia finally proved to be their launchpad. McLaren had scored no points in the opening race at Bahrain despite having great promise ahead of the start of the 2022 season. Due to the new technical regulations and budget cap, fans had expected to see a classic Ferrari versus McLaren battle and while the Scuderia has delivered on its expectations, McLaren have been unimpressive.
Read More – Daniel Ricciardo news: Aussie relieved after positive display in Australian GP
Australia finally saw Zak Brown’s two drivers score good points, with Lando Norris finishing P5 and home favorite Daniel Ricciardo in P6. The team must make this result the ground on which they build their season from this point.
One of the constructors that fans were pumped to see ahead of the 2022 season was Aston Martin. With four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in their ranks and the budget cap, many expected the team to perform well, or at least Vettel. Not only has the team struggled, but it has also been unsuccessful when it comes to scoring points so far. Aston Martin are plumb last in the constructor’s championship with zero points so far. It is hard to say what exactly has gone wrong, some may point their fingers at the massive overhaul in staff just before the start of the pre-season testing sessions. It might very well be the final straw for Vettel at the team if the form does not change from here on.
