Daniel Ricciardo Predicts Electrifying 2022 Australian GP Amidst Track Layout Tweaks

The Australian Grand Prix is back on the racing calendar after a two-year absence amid the pandemic. And, quite interestingly, Albert Park, like a few other circuits, managed to utilize this window of opportunity to enhance their circuit layout in a bid to ramp up wheel-to-wheel racing.

Hence, the Melbourne street circuit is unlikely to deliver another straightforward race, with more thrills and spills anticipated this time around. And homeboy Daniel Ricciardo couldn’t hide his excitement either. The McLaren driver was on cloud nine as he expressed a high level of optimism for the upcoming Australian GP.

What did Daniel Ricciardo say?

As reported by Motorsport, Ricciardo opened up that the latest changes to Albert Park could lead to a more exhilarating race on Sunday this year.

“I think with the new design in Albert Park, he’s really focused on improving the show on Sunday, which will provide more opportunity for the transition,” he said.

Along with the changes to Albert Park’s track layout, F1 is also looking forward to experiencing the effect of recent regulation changes on the new-age cars. Hence, the 2022 Australian Grand Prix could well be capable of delivering the most exciting race of the season.

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Ricciardo reveals how Australian GP will be better this year

Although he admitted that Albert Park is not an easy track to overtake on, Ricciardo felt the latest changes could nullify the drawbacks.

“Every street track is difficult in itself because these are not tracks made specifically for you. There is not the smoothest asphalt, there are some challenges like bumps and oil stains,” he said.

“Albert Park has always been a difficult track to overtake because it was very narrow and very fast. In Formula 1, in general, the faster we go, the harder it is to follow the other cars in the cornering combinations. Widing the apex of some corners will help with some key transitions or choosing a different line to get rid of the stale air.”

Overall, Baku has so far remained the only street circuit to offer abundant overtaking opportunities. So, with the latest changes to Albert Park, can the Australian GP too, turn into an overtaking haven for drivers?

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