Australian Grand Prix 2022 — Weekend Preview

Round 3 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship takes the field to Melbourne, Australia. Australian Grand Prix — Where the Season Begins. Charles Leclerc leads the championship with 45 points, 12 points ahead of Carlos Sainz.

Driver Championship (entering R3):
P1: Charles Leclerc — 45 pts (1W, 2P)
P2: Carlos Sainz — 33 pts (0W, 2P)
P3: Max Verstappen — 25 pts (1W, 1P)
P4: George Russell — 22 pts (0W, 0P)
P5: Lewis Hamilton — 16 pts (0W, 1P)

Constructor Championship:
P1: Ferrari — 78 pts
P2: Mercedes — 38 pts
P3: Red Bull Racing — 37 pts
P4: Alpine — 16 pts
P5: Haas F1 Team — 12 pts

Melbourne is steeped in motorsport history.

Recent winners at Melbourne:
- 2026: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 2025: Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 2024: Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- 2023: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
- 2022: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5 different winners in the last 5 years — no driver has dominated this circuit recently.

Tyre strategy data will be available after practice sessions provide degradation information.

Battles to watch:

Championship battle: Charles Leclerc vs Carlos Sainz — 12 points separate them.

P3 vs P4: Max Verstappen (25) vs George Russell (22) — just 3 points apart.
P4 vs P5: George Russell (22) vs Lewis Hamilton (16) — just 6 points apart.
P5 vs P6: Lewis Hamilton (16) vs Esteban Ocon (14) — just 2 points apart.