Albert Park Revisions to Make for Quicker but Closer Racing – Andrew Westacott

Andrew Westacott, the CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, expects lap times to tumble around the Albert Park track after updates to the circuit were completed recently.

It has been two years since Australia held a Grand Prix thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, with the 2020 event being cancelled on the eve of the weekend as COVID-19 began to sweep across the globe.

Changes to the track have been made across this time, with the turn nine/ten chicane being turned into a sweeping turn the biggest of the changes ahead of the return of Formula 1 to the circuit, which is set to occur as the third round of the 2022 season across the weekend of 8-10 April.

And Westacott is expecting much quicker lap times and more chances of following other cars with the revised layout, particularly with the new specification of car that will race in Formula 1 this year.

“Five seconds a lap quicker, but [with] the new-spec cars, closer racing,” Westacott is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.  “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.

“Making sure the racing is going to be as exciting as possible is the reason why Formula 1 has changed the specification of the cars for this season. And it’s the reason why we’ve resurfaced the track for the first time in 25 years.”