#1059 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

The cars are completely new: from a technical point of view, what do you think could make the difference on track this weekend?

"I think that, putting to one side the different car designs, whoever has done the best job in preparing for the season down to the smallest detail, will have a competitive advantage at the start. There are so many new elements involved and whoever has understood the new format better, especially the limitations involved, could have the edge for at least the first third of the season. When I say format, I mean the whole package: the completely new car, the little time available to work on it, the 18-inch tyres and also the fact the drivers must modify their driving style to suit it. All in all, whoever understands the limitations and opportunities of this more compressed weekend format, will have an ace up their sleeve on track".

And looking at the long term, given this is the first of 23 races, what factors could be key over the course of the season?

"Car development will clearly be the main element, but there are other key factors such as on-track organisation, which is my responsibility. Let’s not forget we are embarking on the busiest season ever in the history of this sport, so I think that now, more than ever, it’s the smallest details that can count when it comes to making every task more efficient. One of the aims will be to expand the flow of information between the engineers and the team at the track and those back in the factory".

On Friday, March 25, 2022, during the first free practice session, Charles Leclerc set the fastest time on the circuit, with Max Verstappen trailing by nearly one-tenth of a second. Valtteri Bottas recorded the third-fastest time, surprisingly finishing ahead of Carlos Sainz. This placed three Ferrari-powered cars among the top four, highlighting an impressive performance by the Maranello-based team. Mercedes appeared to continue facing difficulties, with Lewis Hamilton finishing in ninth place and George Russell in fifteenth. The session was interrupted for approximately eight minutes following an incident involving Lando Norris, who collided with a collapsing signage panel. This required marshals to intervene and remove the debris from the track. From the beginning of the session, a competitive exchange unfolded between Alexander Albon and Mick Schumacher. This culminated in Albon impeding Schumacher at turns 8 and 9. As a result, both drivers were summoned by the stewards. Following the review, Albon received his first official reprimand of the 2022 season. During the session, Max Verstappen also made a radio transmission: 

"Guys, I smell burning, is my car on fire?"

Following the necessary inspections, the team informed the Dutch driver that the car was in proper working condition. The strong burning smell was traced to a fire that had broken out approximately 20 kilometres from the circuit, at an Aramco facility. Later in the afternoon, it was confirmed that the fire had been caused by a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement. As a result of the attack near the Jeddah circuit, the second free practice session (FP2) was delayed by 15 minutes. In response to the incident, an emergency meeting was held between the drivers and Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, followed by a separate meeting between Domenicali and the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA). After the meeting, Haas Team Principal Günther Steiner stated:

"We have been assured that it is absolutely safe to race here. After FP2, we will have another meeting. Personally, I feel safe, otherwise I wouldn't be here".

Stefano Domenicali also shared his words:

"We are all here, racing here is safe".

The Saudi Motorsport Company issued a statement expressing its deep concern and commitment to deploying all necessary resources to ensure the safety and security of all Formula 1 guests, drivers, teams, and investors.

"We are aware of the attack on the Aramco distribution station in Jeddah earlier this afternoon. The race organizers remain in direct contact with the Saudi security authorities, as well as F1 and the FIA ​​to ensure all necessary security and safety measures continue to be implemented to guarantee the safety of all visitors to the Formula 1 stc Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as well as all drivers, teams and stakeholders. The race weekend schedule will continue as planned. The safety and security of all our guests continues to be our main priority and we look forward to welcoming fans for a weekend of premium racing and entertainment".

Undoubtedly, these are challenging and tense hours. Nevertheless, the decision from the FIA and Formula 1 leadership is clear:

"The weekend program will continue as planned. The safety of our drivers will continue to be our top priority and we look forward to welcoming all fans to this weekend of great motorsport and fun".

When the delayed FP2 session finally commences, Charles Leclerc once again proves to be the fastest driver on the track. Max Verstappen’s second-best time remains unbeaten, while Carlos Sainz Jr. improves his previous performance by securing the third-fastest time. Unfortunately, both Ferrari drivers experience incidents where their cars come into contact with the track’s barriers, resulting in damage that prevent them from completing their race simulations. Regarding this, Charles Leclerc makes the following statement:

"It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise good day. In FP2 it was a small mistake, but not one that makes me lose confidence. I expected the front to slide around more and I clipped the inside wall at turn 4. Focusing on tomorrow, I think the pace is there. It's a bit of a shame we couldn't get the high fuel laps done, but we should be in the mix for tomorrow".

Similarly to his teammate, Carlos Sainz’s Jr. states:

"As expected, these cars are behaving differently here in Jeddah compared to Bahrain and we keep learning more about how to set up the car for different conditions and corners. Porpoising was a bit of an issue at a certain point but I'm not concerned. As last year, understanding which is the best tire for the race is important for the strategy. Unfortunately, we didn't do the long run at the end of FP2 after I brushed the wall and we had to stay in the garage. We'll see what tomorrow brings".

World Champion Max Verstappen records the fastest time on medium tires after encountering difficulties during both attempts on soft tires: the first affected by oversteer, and the second interrupted by a virtual safety car period triggered by a power unit malfunction on Kevin Magnussen’s car. At the conclusion of the session, the Dutch driver comments:

"The sessions ran quite smoothly today; we completed our program and tried out lots of different tire sets. It seems like Ferrari were quite competitive again, we still have a little bit of work to do to catch up with them and there's plenty of room for improvement. The track feels pretty much the same as last year, the barriers have moved slightly and in terms of visibility, it hasn't made a noticeable impact. Looking ahead to qualifying, we still need to look at some data, we'll see how it all goes tomorrow".

While Sergio Perez states:

"We ran both cars on different programs and I think we got the data we needed, so now we have some work to do tonight. It was difficult to get the lap in I needed to see exactly how we will perform over one lap here because I had a lot of traffic out there. I think it could be another straight shootout with Ferrari on Saturday but at the moment we are focusing on ourselves and hopefully tomorrow we are able to make the steps we'd like with the car. It will be important in qualifying to make sure we get the space for a clean lap because traffic can be a bit difficult around here so we need to make sure we are on it".

Mercedes-powered cars occupy the last seven positions and, as a result, none qualify for the top ten. Lewis Hamilton addresses the media on this matter: 

"It's been an OK day; we still have many of the same problems we had in the last race but we're working through them. It's definitely a little bit harder here with the high- speed corners but the grip is really good on the track and we just need to find some speed on the straights. We'll be heads down tonight, understanding the data from today and putting ourselves in the best position for qualifying tomorrow".

George Russell shares a similar perspective regarding the situation: 

"It's great to be back on the Jeddah circuit, extremely high-speed and exhilarating for the drivers, but we are still experiencing the same issues we faced last weekend in Bahrain. We know we still have a lot of work to do to close the gap on Red Bull and Ferrari. We'll be fighting to maximize our opportunities for points this weekend and giving it our all tomorrow in qualifying. Anything can happen around here so it's important we 're in touching distance to capture as many points as possible".

On Saturday, March 26, 2022, qualifying takes place at 8:00 p.m. local time and lasts for one hour. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes is eliminated during the first segment of qualifying (Q1) for the first time since the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix. This marks the first occasion since the 2009 British Grand Prix that he is eliminated in Q1 due to a lack of pace. Q1 is interrupted by a red flag following a crash involving Williams’ Nicholas Latifi. After the session resumed, the first five drivers eliminated were AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Williams’ drivers Latifi and Alexander Albon, Aston Martin’s Nico Hülkenberg, and Lewis Hamilton. The second segment of qualifying (Q2) is also red-flagged after Haas driver Mick Schumacher crashes. Schumacher is largely unharmed but is transported to the hospital for precautionary medical scans. Following a lengthy suspension, Q2 resumes and concludes with the elimination of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Schumacher, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu, and both McLaren drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris. Ricciardo, who qualifies 12th, receives a three-place grid penalty for impeding Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. In the final stage of qualifying (Q3), Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez secures his maiden Formula One pole position, ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr., who qualifies second and third respectively. Pérez sets a new record for the most Grands Prix contested before achieving a pole position, reaching 215 races. Pérez’s teammate, Max Verstappen, qualifies fourth, followed by Esteban Ocon in fifth and George Russell in sixth. Although Schumacher is medically cleared to race, Haas decides to run only one car—with Kevin Magnussen—due to the extensive damage sustained by Schumacher’s vehicle. Repairing the car would compromise their ability to compete effectively at the upcoming Australian Grand Prix, given the limited supply of spare parts during the season’s initial fly-away races. Notably, Sergio Pérez becomes the first Mexican driver in history to achieve a pole position.

"Today was very special to me, I achieved the best lap of my life. I feel like I could do another thousand laps and there is no chance I can get the same lap, with the amount of perfection and risk".

Pérez acknowledged the challenges of driving on the Jeddah circuit:

"You have to be very precise; you must take all the risks and the risk to reward is extremely high but the positions you have to take around this place to get the perfect lap are so hard. We came to Jeddah from a very difficult weekend in Bahrain and the Team have been pushing so hard out here and back in Milton Keynes, so I am extremely happy for them all. If anything, we were focusing more on the race pace so we felt Ferrari had the upper hand on us in qualifying. We will see if we have the pace to beat them in the race tomorrow. I need a good start and then I will try to control the race from there it is going to be difficult because the Ferraris are quick and Max will be in the mix too. We have a long race ahead of us but I am confident we can come out on top again".

Max Verstappen congratulated his teammate on an outstanding performance. As for his own qualifying session, he admitted that the day did not go as he had hoped, citing issues with tire grip as the primary challenge:

"In Q1 and Q2 everything felt normal but in Q3 the grip was terrible, I couldn’t extract what I needed to from the tyres and I was just sliding everywhere. In the faster corners I couldn’t push as hard as I would have liked and when you don’t feel comfortable on a street circuit you cannot attack the corners. Of course, I’m not happy with fourth and we’ll analyse what happened but we have a competitive car and we have a lot to fight for tomorrow as a Team. I am looking forward to it, hopefully we can have a good race".

Christian Horner expressed his delight for Sergio “Checo” Pérez, celebrating his first pole position after 11 years in Formula 1 and 215 Grand Prix starts.

"The Ferraris put down such a competitive marker and for Checo to put in a lap like that at this circuit was unbelievable".

Regarding Verstappen’s issues with the grip, he states:

"Max struggled with grip in Q3 and could not attack the corners as much as he wanted, but starting from fourth he’s still very much in contention".

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton highlighted the difficulties he experienced with the car’s balance:

"The rear end was snapping out and this isn't where we want to be. We went the wrong way with the set up tonight and the car just wasn't underneath me for this session. It's strange because the car was feeling good in FP3 but in qualifying, it was difficult to drive all of a sudden and felt nervous. Everyone is working as hard as they can and trying to stay positive. I'll try my best tomorrow and see what we can do".

He acknowledges the challenge that Ferrari presents this season, and expresses that he is incredibly satisfied with today’s results:

"Ferrari are impressive and their car is so competitive, they started early on this project last year, so for us to have Checo on pole and Max up there on the second row in race two, after such an enormous effort last season, is a real testament to the hard work of the entire team".

Mattia Binotto expresses his satisfaction with Ferrari’s second front-row start of the season. Only a few thousandths separate Checo from the Ferrari drivers.

"I think that the first position could be done, but it doesn't matter. We are very happy to be second and third and even more happy to be competitive".

The Ferrari car has shown strong pace and consistent performance:

"We are happy, the F1-75 is a versatile car that can adapt well. The drivers are able to exploit it and it's a good starting point. Here they have chosen a lighter configuration. We are faster in the corners, they are faster in the straights: I'm curious to see what will come out in the race. We will probably suffer less from tire degradation, but the speed on the straights will certainly be an element that will be to their advantage. But here we know that anything can happen. Red flags, Safety Car... It will be important not to make mistakes and try to take advantage of every opportunity. We have two cars in front in the first and second row, they will have them too but there are others in the race too. We will have to be ready reactive and focused".

Charles Leclerc noted what is that the unusual aspect of this weekend for himself:

"Was that we felt better on used tires than on new tires. This led us to not have that feeling with the fresh Soft to make the next step. But talking about my lap in Q3, honestly, I'm happy".

Regarding Pérez, Charles Leclerc comments: 

"He did an incredible lap. I think he took some risks that paid off in the third sector. Maybe I played it a little safer. I took enough risks in the first two sectors and tried to complete a lap that felt good. In the end we were two hundredths short, so it shows that we never have to give up anything. Today wasn't enough, but the race is tomorrow and I hope to bring a good result home. It will be a very tight fight with Red Bull. It will play out on tire degradation, which is greater than we expected. Not only for us but for everyone. However, we have clear ideas on what to do to make them last, so we have to focus on ourselves. The first two corners will be important: no unnecessary risks, but if we can gain a position, it would obviously be better. We'll see".

Carlos Sainz expressed concerns about his performance on the new tires, noting that his fastest lap was set using used tires. 

"That's why in Q3, at the first attempt, I had used tires and I did a really good time. Then I put on the new tire and I went 2-3 tenths slower. It's quite a strange thing, which doesn't happen on any other circuit, but it's clear that in the decisive moment of the qualifying you need the best performing compound and I wasn't confident about that".

Carlos would have clearly preferred to secure pole position, given his strong performance and progress throughout qualifying, particularly considering the setup and suspension issues he faced during the free practice sessions.

"During free practice, I wasn't up there because I was testing some things I wanted to bring to the car. Especially set-up and suspension, to try to find a better feeling. In qualifying, I put everything together and I was going very strong. I think I made progress, but in the end, the best way to measure it is the race. Let's see how we are tomorrow, if I'm closer on the pace we can fight for the win".

The Mercedes team acknowledges that today’s performance fell short of their expectations. Regarding Lewis Hamilton’s performance, Toto Wolff states:

"We experimented with a setup that was worse, and the consequence was there was no rear grip and the car became undrivable".

In contrast, he praises the team—particularly George Russell—for securing sixth position, especially given that they had only one set of soft tires available for Q3.

"Nevertheless, the optimum scenario for us today was the no-man's-land between the Red Bull and Alpine, and that's certainly not acceptable".

The Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin says:

"We know we aren't quick enough at the moment and Lewis exiting in Q1 is just a symptom of that".

The Mercedes engineer acknowledges that the team struggled more with single-lap pace this time compared to their performance in Bahrain.

"However, the car did look better in race-spec yesterday than on single runs, so we're hopeful we'll have a better package tomorrow. We know the races here don't normally run to plan so there's lots of opportunity to move forward and we'll no doubt gain some useful knowledge along the way".

Regarding Russell, he comments:

"George drove strong sessions and didn't leave much in the car today. The porpoising is priority number one because it's preventing us from running the car where we want it. We've got some avenues which are giving us good direction but it's taking us time to get those as parts on the car. We're leaving no stone unturned and every day we run, we're learning".

George Russell states that it was a challenging qualifying day for the Mercedes team, as they are still struggling to find the right balance with the car. 

"And we're fighting to get it into this very small window".

However, he expresses that on their side of the garage, the team managed to get the car into the optimal window, although he is not sure how or why they succeeded, while on Lewis’s side, they were unable to do so.

"When that happens on a circuit like this on a knife-edge, you just don't have the confidence to push it to the limit. As a team, we're not here to fight for P5 or P6, we want more and we were nine tenths behind Checo today, so we've got work to do".

Russell adds that the team is fully aware of the car’s issues and is actively working to resolve them. He expresses confidence that they will succeed and achieve a strong position. 

"We know there's so much lap time on the table, we just can't tap into it. We will get there, I've no doubt. But we've got to be patient. We can be grateful that we've got such a serious issue, but we are still the third fastest team and that offers so much optimism. If we are still the third fastest and we have so many issues, when we solve them, we should be in a really good spot".

On March 27, 2022, the race begins at 8:00 p.m. local time and lasts for 50 laps. Yuki Tsunoda’s car suffers a power unit issue en route to the grid, preventing him from participating in the race. Sergio Pérez leads from pole position ahead of Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Carlos Sainz for the first 14 laps. On lap 15, Nicholas Latifi retires after hitting the wall, prompting a safety car intervention just after Pérez’s pit stop. During the safety car period, Leclerc and Verstappen make their pit stops, allowing them to rejoin ahead of Pérez. However, Pérez illegally passes Sainz, who has also pitted and rejoined ahead of him, forcing Pérez to relinquish the position once the race resumes. Much of the race features close battles in the midfield, including an intense contest between Alpine teammates Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, who swap positions multiple times before team orders require Ocon to hold position. On laps 35 and 36, Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, and Valtteri Bottas all retire due to unrelated mechanical issues within moments of each other. Leclerc is unable to keep Verstappen behind once his tires cools down during a virtual safety car period on lap 37. With the pit lane closed until the race resumes, Lewis Hamilton is unable to pit for a time-advantage stop, dropping from sixth to twelfth place. Between laps 42 and 43, Leclerc and Verstappen engage in a tense DRS battle, particularly at turn 27, where neither driver want to lead and become vulnerable to attack on the following straight. Verstappen takes the lead on lap 46. On lap 47, a collision between Alexander Albon and Lance Stroll ends Albon’s race. Yellow flags at turn 1 following the incident prevents Leclerc from launching a DRS attack on lap 48. Verstappen goes on to win the race, with Sainz completing the podium. Post-race investigations into Kevin Magnussen, Sainz, and Pérez for failing to slow down after yellow flags result in no penalties. This victory marks Verstappen’s first win of the season and the 21st of his career. It is also Lewis Hamilton’s 180th race start with Mercedes, surpassing Michael Schumacher’s record for the most races started with a single team. From the Australian Grand Prix onwards, the FIA imposes stricter regulations on restart tactics, targeting Verstappen’s aggressive manoeuvres during safety car restarts - where he would accelerate, brake, and position alongside Leclerc to gain a tactical advantage - following similar incidents in the 2021 Abu Dhabi and 2022 Bahrain Grands Prix. Drivers are now expected to maintain consistent driving behaviour during restarts. Max Verstappen enjoyed the battle with Leclerc but is somewhat disappointed to see his teammate lose the lead:

"It was a tough and crazy race today. I had a lot of fun battling with Charles again, I really enjoyed it and it’s not easy to get past him, patience is always key, especially if you want to fight for the Championship. In the beginning it was pretty difficult to follow but I think once we swapped to the hard tyre we were able to push more and the pace was better. We played the long game on the tyres which seemed to pay off. Towards the end of the race, it felt like we were doing lots of quali laps, which was intense but really cool. Ultimately, we were able to win and we can be very proud of that as a Team. It wasn’t easy out there, but I think we maximised all that we could today. It was really unlucky for Checo with the timing of the safety car but we have plenty of races ahead of us where we can make up for it".

Sergio Pérez started from pole position and led the early stages of the race. However, during his pit stop, Charles Leclerc overtook him to take the lead. Later, Pérez was required to relinquish third place back to Carlos Sainz, ultimately finishing the race in a disappointing fourth position:

"I think sometimes when you don’t have the right luck you cannot win the race, especially on crazy tracks like this, it knocks you down. I think I dominated the first stint and I was comfortably in the lead and had the race under control but unfortunately that wasn’t enough. At first, it was a virtual safety car so I was going to lose a position and then under the safety car I lost out to Carlos too. It was the worst timing straight after my pit stop and made regaining P1 impossible after that. It was a bit of a shame I couldn’t get Carlos at the end to be on the podium but I didn’t get the chance. There are definitely a lot of positives to take from this weekend, yesterday putting it on pole and today having the race pace. So, we will keep pushing and working hard because today I really deserved the win but bad timing stopped that. I am really pleased for Max and the Team that we got a good result today, it could have been a one, two but unfortunately, we didn’t get it".

Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner congratulates Max Verstappen on his strategic race, noting that he managed his tires well and preserved enough performance to attack at the end. However, Horner expresses his disappointment over Sergio Pérez’s misfortune:

“He drove an incredible lap yesterday to get his maiden pole; he then converted that from the start to keep the lead and was controlling the race beautifully. He pitted on the lap we discussed before the race and then bang a safety car, and he was very unlucky today. It was great for the Team to rebound after the disappointment of Bahrain; everyone has worked very hard over the past week to understand and address the issues that we had. The first two races have delivered great racing between the two teams, Ferrari are very quick and we are expecting the competition to continue over the next few races".

Scuderia Ferrari secured a double podium finish, with Leclerc and Sainz in second and third position. Charles Leclerc initially attempted to overtake Pérez at the start and eventually succeeded, aided by a fortuitously timed safety car. After taking the lead, he focused on managing the race; however, a late virtual safety car allowed Verstappen to advance to second place. From that point, Leclerc mounted a fierce defence, briefly losing and regaining the lead twice before Verstappen ultimately succeeded in overtaking him:

"Although I’m disappointed to lose the victory so late in the race, it feels good to be fighting for wins again. Whenever I had a bit of margin to Max, I could manage the race well. But after the Virtual Safety Car, as soon as he got in the DRS range, it became difficult. He was fast in the straights and I was fast in the corners. You have to play on your strengths as much as possible when it’s this tight. I regained my position twice but the third time it did not work out. I could have possibly had another opportunity if it weren’t for the yellow flag at the end of the race, but that’s part of the game. It was a really fun battle! I hope it stays this close for the coming races. It’s exciting to watch and to drive like this. Development will be key and we have to push hard".

Carlos Sainz Jr. expresses satisfaction with his result:

"P3 is a good result and overall, this has been a fairly positive weekend, definitely better than one week ago in Bahrain. I feel we are going in the right direction with this car and I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before we are fighting a bit further up the order. We have a clearer picture of where and what we need to improve and we have a direction to follow. I can’t wait to go to Australia after two years without racing there".

Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto expresses his happiness with the evening’s thrilling race, where two strong drivers competed for the victory. He acknowledges that the season has started positively for Ferrari, with 78 points scored across the first two races out of a possible 88.:

"That’s definitely a significant figure and we can be pleased about it. Charles and Carlos both did well and were clear thinking, especially at the key moments, which helped in bringing home as many points as possible. A few incidents affected the outcome, but having said that, congratulations to Max and Red Bull who were very strong today. We move on from a positive weekend and head for the next two rounds in Melbourne and Imola, where we will try to get the most out of our car".

This weekend proved challenging for Mercedes in terms of results. However, George Russell was able to maximize potential points, providing the team with valuable data to build on for the upcoming Championship races. Notably, for the first time, Russell finished the race ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton:

"The car felt good but we're just lacking downforce because we can't get the car to run close to the ground. We got the car in a nice window and I was pushing as hard as I could, it was probably the most physical race I've experienced in F1, 50 laps at the limit on a fast street circuit - I just want to be doing it fighting for victory. Everybody is working as hard as they can to close the gap to Red Bull and Ferrari, every single person at Brackley and Brixworth wants more and we'll continue to push until we close that gap. This first part of the season isn't packed with races, the calendar isn't too dense, so it gives us some time to find solutions. We aren't here to fight for P5 but you've got to take the positives. The race was enjoyable to drive, this track is probably in the top five of the year, incredibly fast and with fantastic grip".

Starting from sixteenth position, Lewis Hamilton finished in tenth place. He stated that while the car was good, it lacked strong pace. Additionally, he struggled with tire temperatures at the beginning of the race but gradually began gaining on cars running on medium tires:

"We were unlucky with how the VSC played out at the end but I was giving it everything. Yesterday made the weekend so much harder and I take that on my shoulders. It's gutting but we need to keep fighting, it's all we can do - I know I've got a great team and we'll just keep our heads down".

Toto Wolff acknowledges that there is still much work to be done in order to fight at the front. He states:

"George managed his race well and scored the maximum we could have hoped for today without any incidents ahead of him. For Lewis, it was always going to be a difficult afternoon from P15. The first Safety Car came too early to run to the end on Medium, so we stayed out like other cars that started on Hard; then we missed the opportunity to box just before the pit lane closed under the VSC, which cost us a couple of positions. The overall picture is sobering, and it's clear that we need to continue working hard if we wish to deliver a stronger performance in Melbourne".

Now, we will wait for the next round of the 2022 World Championship: The Australian Grand Prix. Returning for the first time since 2019, the race is scheduled for April 8–10 at the Albert Park circuit. While Max Verstappen and Red Bull have opened their scoring, Charles Leclerc still holds the championship lead.