2022 F1 Australian GP – How to watch, session timings and more

F1 returns to Albert Park for the first Australian GP since 2019, after the 2020 event got cancelled when a member of the paddock tested positive for COVID-19, just days before the global pandemic struck, while F1 wasn’t able to return to Melbourne in 2021.

With a new era of F1 cars, Albert Park has also undergone a series of circuit changes aimed at improving racing. Find out about the full changes here.

Ferrari and Red Bull appear to be at the head of the field at the start of a new generation of F1 cars in the return to ground effects, with each manufacturer taking one win from the opening two rounds. Charles Leclerc struck first in a Ferrari 1-2 at the Bahrain GP before Max Verstappen hit back for Red Bull at the Saudi Arabian GP.

Behind the front two teams, Mercedes will be aiming to find solutions to its porpoising problem in order to unlock performance from its W13 F1 car.

Sebastian Vettel also returns to action having missed the opening two rounds due to COVID-19, with Nico Hulkenberg acting as supersub for Aston Martin.

Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin AMR22

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Full 2022 Australian GP session timings

Friday 8th April 2022

Free Practice 1: 4:00am-5:00am BST (1:00pm-2:00pm local)
Free Practice 2: 7:00am-8:00pm BST (4:00pm-5:00pm local)

Saturday 9th April 2022

Free Practice 3: 4:00am-5:00am BST (1:00pm-2:00pm local)
Qualifying: 7:00am-8:00am BST (4:00pm-5:00pm local)

Sunday 10th April 2022

Race: 6:00am BST (3:00pm local)

How can I watch Formula 1?

In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is only broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.

Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £20 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £33.99p per month.

Fans wanting to watch the race for free will have to wait until the evening of Saturday (qualifying) or Sunday (race) to see the highlights on Channel 4.

How can I watch the F1 Australian GP?

Channel: Sky Sports F1 HD and Sky Sports Main Event
Channel numbers - Sky: 406 and 401
Channel numbers - Virgin Media: 506 and 501

Sky Sports has live and exclusive broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom, with the build-up to the F1 Australian GP race starting from 4:30am ahead of lights out at 6:00am.

Pirelli branding around the track

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

When can I watch the F1 Australian GP highlights?

· Channel: Channel 4
· Start time: Saturday qualifying – 11:00am BST, Sunday race – 3:05pm BST

Channel 4 has the rights to show Australian GP highlights of qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.

Will the F1 Australian GP be on the radio?

Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2022 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra stations or via the BBC Sport website.

Coverage of the Australian GP will start at 5:45am BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sounds app.

Weather forecast for the F1 Australian GP

The Albert Park circuit is set for dry and cloudy weather conditions throughout the race weekend, with a very low chance of rain on each day of track action. Highs of 26 degrees Celsius are predicted on Sunday for the start of the race.

Most F1 Australian GP wins (world championship races only)

Michael Schumacher: 4 wins (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004)
Sebastian Vettel: 3 wins (2011, 2017, 2018)
Jenson Button: 3 wins (2009, 2010, 2012)