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The first two races in the 2022 season of Formula 1 could not have been more enticing. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen’s battle in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia was thrilling, to say the least. And now Formula 1 moves from the Gulf to an iconic place in the sport’s history. After a long two-year wait, Australia is all set to welcome a Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne.


The 2019 season was the last we saw racing live in this venue. The pandemic meant the FIA canceled the races scheduled in Australia. However, Albert Park is back on the table with some interesting changes included in the menu for this season. Ahead of the 2022 season, the track has been refined with four DRS zones added to aid overtakes to make the race exciting.

Get ready to witness overtaking action on Sunday

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There have never been over three DRS zones in Formula 1 history. Hence, the decision to include 4 DRS Zones in the Australian GP came as a surprise to many. The first two races have been nail-biting, with solid overtaking opportunities, thanks to the Drag Reduction System.

via Reuters

A part of F1 that gets the fans talking, DRS enables drivers to gain a momentary advantage in speed on the straights. So, four DRS Zones in the Australian Grand Prix will provide plenty of chances for the drivers to overtake. The race will have two DRS detection zones. The track also had 16 corners during the last race in 2019. But, Albert Park will contain only 14 corners this time around.

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However, there has been a criticism of DRS after the battle between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen in Jeddah. Both the drivers wanted to stay behind the DRS detection zone in order to gain advantage in the straights by using DRS. Hence, they slammed on the breaks to let the other driver ahead.

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Speaking on DRS, F1 Managing Director Ross Brawn said, “It’s true. The DRS continues to have an important weight in the dynamics of the majority of overtaking on the track. But beware: except for some overtaking where the difference in maximum speed between two F1s is very large, the DRS now allows you to get closer to it faster than it would happen without a difference in load to the rear wing,”

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Watch this Story – F1 Drivers Fighting on Track

We cannot wait for the return of the Australian Grand Prix. With the confirmation of four DRS zones, the fans expect plenty of action and drama on Sunday. Will the Australian Grand Prix live up to its hype? It remains to be seen.

Written by

Rahul Madhavan

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Rahul Madhavan is a Formula 1 writer at EssentiallySports. After completing his Bachelor's degree in business administration, he is pursuing his love for sports in the form of writing. Rahul is an avid McLaren fan, who also enjoys writing about soccer.
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Edited by

Pritam Priyedarshi