Lance Stroll: "It's fantastic to be able to return to Australia. Melbourne is such a great sporting city, and the Albert Park track is always fun to drive. I'm looking forward to sampling the revised layout and the resurfaced track, which will hopefully improve overtaking - especially into Turn 13, which has been tightened. In fact, it will be very interesting to see how these new ground-effect cars perform here, as they should also hopefully make racing closer and more exciting."

Sebastian Vettel: "After testing positive and missing the first two races, it feels a bit like arriving late to school, so I'm really keen to get going again! Starting my season in Australia is something I've done before, of course, and it's also great that Formula One is returning after a difficult couple of years. For me, after nearly a month out of the car, it will be important to learn throughout the practice sessions, and I hope we can take some steps forward in what is usually an exciting and unpredictable race."

Major layout changes including the widening of five corners and a new flat-out section in place of the former Turns Nine and 10 chicane mean that drivers and teams will have to get to grips with a new-look Albert Park. Finding the limit and evaluating car and strategy implications during practice will be a crucial task.

With only 11 passes after lap one in the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, overtaking has traditionally been challenging at Albert Park. With four DRS zones - more than any other 2022 circuit - and seemingly closer racing because of Formula One's new regulations, however, passing is expected to improve.

Due to low tyre degradation, the Australian Grand Prix has historically been a one-stop race but projected higher speeds, improved overtaking, potential increased tyre wear and a reduced pit-lane time loss due to higher speed limits could make a two-stop strategy more viable.