Sun, fun and a favourite son: Melbourne makes a full-throttle return to the top of the F1 calendar

McLaren's Oscar Piastri on a practice lap of Melbourne’s Albert Park. The city has welcomed F1 with an open enthusiasm that is all but infectious. Photograph: Mark Peterson/Reuters

As Formula One prepares to open a season the sport hopes will be a spectacular battle royale, it surely could not ask for a finer venue than Melbourne’s Albert Park to set things off in a suitably splendid fashion.

The true form for the year ahead has yet to be discerned from the opening day of practice in Australia. But with the cars fizzing with intent around the glorious circuit in the parkland in the heart of the city, it was a pleasure to welcome Australia back as the opening race of the season for the first time since the Covid pandemic brought proceedings to a desultory close here on the Friday before the race in 2020.