Red Bull tension watch as Alonso targets magic number three - what to expect at the Australian GP
Red Bull tension watch as Alonso targets magic number three - what to expect at the Australian GP
F1 returns to Australia with Red Bull in the ascendency following two dominant performances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Max Verstappen heads team-mate Sergio Perez by a single point after the Mexican took honours at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit two weeks ago.
With rivals racing to try and close the gap to the RB19, GPFans takes a look at what to expect from the Australian Grand Prix.
Red Bull trouble to ease?
Red Bull may well be dominant but the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix made clear that not all is rosy for the championship-leading constructor.
A driveshaft failure in qualifying left Verstappen 15th on the grid and the Dutchman raised eyebrows when levelling criticism at his team in the aftermath of the event.
Underlying tension between Verstappen and Perez was born again after the two-time champion stole the fastest lap bonus point on the final lap despite instructions to hit a target delta.
With Red Bull likely to again comfortably secure victory this weekend, all eyes will be on the dynamic between the team and two drivers. Will the return to Albert Park play out smoothly?
Aston Martin and Alonso aim for magic number three
Fernando Alonso has insisted Aston Martin has its feet firmly on the ground ahead of the trip to Australia, but the reality is that his form behind the AMR23 makes a third podium in as many races more than likely.
The team was comfortably faster than Ferrari in Jeddah whilst Alonso ensured the Mercedes could not get close to him after Lance Stroll retired from the race.
Alonso was scintillating for Alpine here last season before a hydraulics failure put paid to his chances of a front-row start, do not be surprised if he is again best of the rest behind the Red Bull duo.
Mercedes positive but results will have to wait
The sounds from Mercedes regarding upgrade performance for the W14 at the team's Brackley base are encouraging, but that won't help in Australia.
Instead, the best the team can hope for is a similar battle to the one it had with Aston Martin last time out. Whilst its customer team remains ahead, George Russell was in striking distance of Fernando Alonso for much of the race.
The other good news for Mercedes is that Ferrari has, at least for now, fallen back off the pace over a race distance, at least meaning one rival has been disposed of.
How different things will be this weekend remains to be seen, but it is hard to believe there will be smiles at the Silver Arrows come Sunday.
McLaren to bounce back
No one would have expected McLaren to be at the foot of the table after two races but the dismal start to the season was underlined by lap one misfortune in Saudi Arabia.
But positives must be taken from Oscar Piastri's qualifying performance to reach Q3 and with the Australian marking his first home race in F1, a wave of support should raise morale for the Woking-based outfit.
Points should be on the cards for McLaren to kickstart the season.
End to race start penalties
Two curious incidents in each of the first two races led to penalty chaos for Esteban Ocon and Alonso.
Both drivers were caught outside their grid boxes at the start, picking up a five-second penalty each which subsequently led to further controversy later in each race.
To combat the issue, grid boxes have been extended to help the drivers, who behind the wheel are unable to see the ground around their cars.
Fingers crossed this will solve the problem.
READ MORE: Australian GP chief reveals night race desire
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Audi agree STAR driver contract as Mercedes driver tipped for new F1 seat THIS season - GPFans F1 Recap
- 1 hour ago
Ferrari show off new-look drivers following HUGE announcement
- 2 hours ago
McLaren leading fight for HUGE cash injection
- 3 hours ago
Newey set to announce STUNNING Red Bull departure
- Yesterday 17:57
Newey Red Bull exit wish CONFIRMED as F1 guru's reasons revealed
- Yesterday 20:57
F1 legend reveals 'FLOOD' of death threats after controversial decision
- Yesterday 19:57
Related news
'Disaster waiting to happen': F1 star demands FIA safety OVERHAUL after terrifying crash
F1 pundit claims Mercedes HARSHLY treated by rivals
Kravitz attacked with CAKE in Ferrari celebrations
Perez makes HUGE Verstappen claim to give rivals title hope
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860