Formula 1 returned to Australia last weekend for the first time since 2019. The corona pandemic had prevented a trip to Melbourne in recent years. Some F1 stars did not like the fact that the Grand Prix only appeared on the calendar this year after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The reaction came promptly from Down Under.
The race in Australia came at a bad time for Mercedes driver George Russell and his Red Bull opponent Sergio Pérez.
“I think Melbourne here as a season opener was really cool because everyone got here early and there was a lot of excitement and anticipation,” said Russell after his third place finish at the Australian GP. The Brit criticized: “I think having Melbourne between races, especially as a single event, is too tough for the teams and everyone else.”
“We have to think more about it,” said the 24-year-old, who switched from Williams to Mercedes just a few months ago.
Formula 1 now in Europe and the USA
The next thing on the agenda is the Imola Grand Prix (April 24th), a race in Europe, followed by Miami in the USA (May 6th). If Russell had his way, Formula 1 could have made another stop in the Middle East after Melbourne.
Pérez also lamented: “As the season gets longer and longer, we have to find a better balance. At the moment it’s working well because we’re doing winter testing in Bahrain. It makes sense to stay there. But it really has to be one race at a time because coming to Australia for just one race is pretty painful for everyone.”
Formula 1 drivers should “stop whining”
Andrew Westacott, the Australian Grand Prix organizer, cannot understand the stars’ criticism. “We proved that our Grand Prix can be a successful one both at the beginning of the season and after a few races,” he told the portal “GP fans“. “Formula 1 is also early in the season in Australia. Drivers need to stop whining in some ways.”
The Australian Grand Prix has been a fixture of the Formula 1 World Championship calendar since 1985. Since 1996, the season opener has always taken place in Melbourne, with the exception of 2006, 2010, 2020 and 2021.