The first two races of the 2022 Formula 1 season did not disappoint fans. Charles Leclerc and Ferrari bagged a solid victory in the opening Grand Prix of the calendar before Max Verstappen produced a crucial comeback in Saudi Arabia. The grid now heads to Australia for the 2022 Heineken Australian Grand Prix.

The Top 5 Storylines Heading To The 2022 Australian Grand Prix

A quick lap around Albert Park ?

The circuit is almost finished and ready for racing ?#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/7Z7ysMm8v6

— F1 Australian Grand Prix (@ausgrandprix) March 31, 2022

READ MORE: 2022 Australian Grand Prix F1 Odds, Preview, and Prediction

Will Red Bull’s new engine hold up?

Christian Horner admitted in an interview that he has his concerns about the brand-new Red Bull engine. This season the RB18 is powered by a proprietary engine with the support of former engine supplier, Honda. Regardless, the Japanese manufacturer continues to provide support for engine development, including production, assembly, and support.

Even with Honda’s help, several engine issues transpired during the Bahrain Grand Prix, which left Verstappen and Perez with a DNF. It was a major concern for Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

In an interview, Horner said, “Of course, we’re concerned about it, but I think first we have to understand what it is,”

“I think once all the strip-down has been done, and we understand what the issue is then, hopefully, fixes can be put in place.”

Ultimately, the fuel system issues were resolved before the second race of the season. This showcased the true potential of the cars and brought Verstappen his first win of the season and a P4 finish for Perez. If they can keep this pace up and inject improvements along the way, we look forward to intense battles happening in front of the grid. The defending World Champion is +120 to win the Australian GP, while Perez maintains a respectable +1400 odds.

Leclerc primed for a title fight

With a competent car that can lead the pack, Leclerc said that he is ready for a title fight with Max Verstappen. The Monegasque driver won the opening race of the 2022 season and a P2 finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. These are promising results from the Reds considering an erratic season last year.

Leclerc said in an interview, “As I said many times, I think development will be key, and we as drivers need to help the team in the best way possible to keep this competitiveness.”

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binottosupports Leclerc in his journey to a first F1 Championship Title. Binotto was asked by the media about his driver’s chances of keeping up with Verstappen. He said, “I think he is [ready to fight for the title], I think he is,”

Binotto added, “But [it’s] something I was expecting when renewing with him in the last year, up to 2024, because we know what he is capable of.”

With a P1 finish each, Leclerc and Verstappen resume their combat in Melbourne in the 2022 Australian Grand Prix in less than two weeks. Leclerc enters the fight with +150 odds to win the race.

New rear wing for Mercedes’ W13

We expect more drama to brew between Ferrari and Red Bull this season, but Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes plan to join the title race soon with +1600 odds to win next weekend’s race. The opening two races of the season yielded mediocre results for the team. Both cars were unable to challenge the leading pace of the Ferrari and Red Bull duo. Saudi Arabia magnified more issues for the team as they faced more bouncing issues despite racing on a smoother track.

The team plans a new rear wing configuration for Melbourne in their quest to improve the W13. Mercedes did not indicate whether it’s the power unit that gives the team a clear disadvantage, but rather a drag issue, which leads the team to an upgraded rear win for the next race. The partnership of Auto Motor and Sport announced that Mercedes will debut its upgraded rear wing.

Sebastian Vettel’s availability

Four-time World Champion missed the opening race and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19. Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack confirmed that Vettel was virtually present for the second race. As it stands, the German driver should be fit in time for the Australian Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg held onto Vettel’s seat in the meantime, who put in a rather impressive performance in Jeddah considering his lengthy absence from the sport. However, his efforts weren’t enough to score points, while teammate Lance Stroll only managed to finish P12 and P13 in the first two races, respectively.

Vettel’s presence in the Aston Martin paddock should provide the team with a boost in morale. His skills as a World Champion also play a pivotal role in their efforts to finish the season with better numbers than last year. He returns to the grid with +100000 odds to win the next race.

Haas to race two cars in Melbourne

Mick Schumacher hit the wall at around 170 miles per hour during Q2 of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, ruling him out of the race. However, this decision was not because of his current status. The German driver was brought to the hospital for precautionary checks and cleared to compete the next day. But, Haas needed to manage their spare parts allowing only Kevin Magnussen to race in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Nevertheless, Haas principal Guenther Steiner guaranteed that the team will have two cars ready for the next race. Steiner said, “We decided not to go out there tomorrow [for the Saudi Arabian GP] and focus on Melbourne, Melbourne will not be an issue.”

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