The Aussie Grand Prix is finally back! After three long years away from Melbourne we return to this wonderful spectacle in style on Friday morning. Over the last three years the complexity of F1 has changed significantly through the interest of the sport and also the exciting progress of each driver on the circuit, in the build-up we will look at 5 matchups (some unsurprising and surprising) that will be key watches when we get to race day.
Hamilton vs Russell
One that may come as a shock especially this season never mind three seasons ago, the battle of the Brits could be one to look out for as both attempt to break their way into the podium places over the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers after an underwhelming Saudi Arabia Grand Prix last time out for Mercedes.
Mercedes have seen the high standards of dominance drop which has come as a surprise to all involved around them this season and despite only being two races in they'll surely look to reassert their place at the top of the podium in Melbourne this Sunday.
Hamilton and Russell will both look to come back in style to battle the top two drivers at this moment Leclerc and Verstappen with Hamilton especially wanting to rekindle that title rivalry we saw last season against the current champion Max Verstappen, Hamilton's one point race in Saudi Arabia is not a regular occurrence for him with the last time we saw him finish in the double digits track position for only the second time since 2014 (not counting DNF's) which for a seven time world champion would surely drive an annoyance into him that could be used as an advantage to challenge the podium places again.
While Russell on the other hand is experiencing a new sensation, being at the top of the grid consistently in his new role as second driver to Lewis which should push him on to want more success with his new F1 team, if these two drivers were to meet at the top of the grid for the first time this season it begs the question will we hear the infamous "Valtteri, it's James" line used on Russell or will we see two Mercedes drivers battling for every single point they can take off each other which could lead to an enthralling fight for places within the Mercedes team.
2. Ocon vs Norris
As the calm at the end of the storm came in after the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix was won, something else bubbled on in the middle of the grid as Sebastian Ocon and Lando Norris in a movie-like finish went over the line in 6th and 7th respectively with just .107 seconds between the two cars as they passed the chequered flag.
This exciting finish looks to be just the start of a new F1 team rivalry after Ferrari and McLaren spent much of last season battling each other for the 4th, 5th and 6th spots, Ocon and his Alpine/Renault team have been through a great development period together which has helped his car become competitive and this season they start off on the right foot challenging for the top 6 in the drivers championship.
Norris on the other hand, is looking to relight the fire that has made him known as one of the top prospects in F1 today and he can start by grabbing more points than Ocon finishing above him in this intriguing encounter. McLaren seem to have taken a step back from the progress they showed challenging in the constructor's 3rd spot against Ferrari last season and these early Norris races should come as a confidence booster to everyone involved if he were to be successful.
Both drivers being in early to mid-twenties is another interesting element in not only this race but over the next few seasons as these two drivers could be the next challengers to the podium positions and this battle to be had right now could be seen by both as a mental victory for the latter stages of this season as well as the upcoming expected battles these two could have in the future.
3. Magnussen vs Vettel
Now...it has to be said that quite like a recent Magnussen and Vettel photo together, this battle is nearly non-existent (well so far anyway). But you just have to hear me out on this one as it is more of a prediction rather than a set-in stone battle (quite like anything), with Magnussen's fast start to this F1 season finishing in 5th and 9th there's a quiet optimism that the Haas car may have found in roads into points places on a regular basis. But one man could be in the way of this...
"The Finger" is back racing people! Sebastian Vettel finally makes his return after a long two weeks of racing without him, I for one have always had a soft spot for Seb and despite Hulkenberg doing a great job in the Aston Martin you have to say it's great to see Vettel back out on the track, he'll be looking to begin his new season with a great push into the point places and I believe that Magnussen's fast start to this season and Haas will be his first target at the Aussie Grand Prix. What evidence do I have to back this up? None whatsoever because he hasn't had a race this year, but with Hulkenberg and Stroll's rather mediocre finishes in mid table over the last two races, I believe Vettel can go one better and challenge that number 10 finish.
For Magnussen, this may just be an afterthought with two very good performances for Haas to start off with and there could be an argument that someone like Pierre Gasly will give more of a challenge to the well-developed Haas car, but with four DRS zones we could really see the pace that Aston Martin may possess in their newly regulated car and if anyone was to prove that this car is worth its weight in gold, it would be the 4 time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
4. Verstappen vs Leclerc
I don't know about anyone else but surely this must be the most surprising matchup that I've selected for this weekend (Sarcasm just in case you were wondering). Max vs Charles is back for round 3 and the more interesting it gets this weekend with the 4 DRS zones in Albert Park allowing for more overtaking and also more defending needing to be done, Max vs Charles has turned into the spectacle that everyone expects to see after two great weeks of racing have risen the expectations of these two young titans driving performances every time they clash.
To start off with Charles Leclerc will be looking for redemption after Max just tipped him for the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix in week two, it certainly did not help that Sergio Perez wedged his way into the conversation with a sensational qualifying lap that saw him gain pole for the first time in his long career with Charles having to battle early on to take the lead of the race and by the time he did a always ready Max took advantage of Charles late on to seal a Red Bull victory for the first time this season, Charles will look to regain pole as he looks to not only control the race at Albert Park but also begin to control and increase his drivers championship lead which is currently only 12 points ahead of Sainz and 20 points in front of Verstappen.
This is Max's type of race if there was one, his hard, aggressive overtaking style will match perfectly with the unprecedented 4 DRS zones in Melbourne this weekend as he will look to build on a hard fought victory over Charles in Saudi Arabia, tactically speaking I believe that Max may be in the better spot if he continues his qualifying record for this season finishing just behind one or two Ferrari's as Mad Max is known for his great skills hunting down drivers and overtaking in a flash. That 3rd and 4th place qualifying spots may be something to look out for in this weekend's race as positioning is as vital as the driving in a circuit made to overtake.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments, am I really delusional for thinking that Hamilton's not going to regain his mojo and get back onto the podium this weekend or do I have a point about Sebastian Vettel's return in an F1 car?
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