Set inside Albert Park’s lush greenery, Melbourne’s 5.275km rapid layout has the feel of a natural road course, yet the track still very much retains the urban vibes and defining characteristics associated with a classic street circuit.

Albert Park features several fast sweeps rather than genuine straights, but maximum velocities as measured by the speed trap located at the end of the track’s pit straight are still quite healthy.

And if there is a circuit that requires the best of both worlds – that is good top speed and substantial downforce and grip levels through the sweeping Turn 9-10 changes of direction – Albert Park is it.

Cue Red Bull’s blindingly fast and highly efficient RB19 package, as mastered by one Max Verstappen who was quickest in qualifying and fastest down the main straight in the session, with a speed of 328,9 kph.

Once again, Williams demonstrated the strong straight-line speed of its FW45, with Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant clocking in just a few kph slower than Max.

Read also: Alonso unsurprised by Mercedes qualifying resurgence

However, the contest between Red Bull and Mercedes is genuine in Melbourne this weekend, with the Brackley squad’s W14 conceding a little over 4 kph down the straight to its rival but very much holding its own through several key corners of the lap according to GPS data.

But can the Mercedes boys really give Verstappen a run for his money over the duration of the race, as George Russell has suggested? Logic would incite us to say no, but throw in the odd safety car or bold strategy, and we may be talking a major upset.

Finally, speaking of a shocking upset, one can’t dismiss an intervention during Sunday’s proceedings of the devil himself, Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard’s Aston Martin AMR23 – due to its draggy profile – was no match for its main rivals through the speed trap, but the sheer downforce of Alonso’s green monster makes it a beast through the corners, and a force to be reckoned with in an action-packed race.

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Dortmund’s former PSG defender Thomas Meunier (30) has said that former team-mate Neymar (30) “lost his magic” in Paris. 

In an interview with Kicker, transcribed in Le Parisien, he said, “I have to admit that I was a big fan of Neymar when he was at Barcelona. The remontada in the Champions League quarter-final (Barcelona 6-1 PSG) was completely him. If I was ten years old, I would have had a poster of him in my bedroom. From my point of view, in Paris, he lost his magic.” 

The Belgian right-back was Neymar’s teammate for four years at the Parc des Princes. Despite achieving domestic success in that time, they of course didn’t secure that all-elusive Champions League trophy. 

The Red Devil also opened up about the difficult few months before his departure to Dortmund in 2020. “At Paris, I was sidelined by Leonardo, the sporting director at the time, because I didn’t want to extend my contract. Everything happened without me, up to the Champions League final, even if I deserved to be there. In private, it wasn’t easy for me either, and nor was it easy for me to leave Paris. My wife, my children and myself all loved the city. It was difficult to leave. I play football because I like football, but when I arrived at Dortmund in 2020, I had experienced some difficult months,” said Meunier. 

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According to Foot Mercato, former Tottenham Hotspur winger Clinton Njie (28), who has recently become a free agent since ending his contract with Russian club Dinamo Moscow early, has reportedly piqued the interest of two Ligue 1 clubs, as well as outfits based in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

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The Cameroonian winger, who reached the 2017/18 Europa League final with Marseille, offers great experience in the French top flight, having scored 21 and assisted 14 in 98 appearances with both OM and Lyon. While his time in the Premier League, following his €14m transfer to Spurs, was ostensibly more of a challenge, the Africa Cup of Nations winner could still be a valuable acquisition.

The two Ligue 1 clubs, whose names have not yet been revealed, are reportedly already in contact with the player’s entourage, while equally unknown Qatari and Saudi Arabian clubs have joined the race to sign the forward.

Ferrari customer teams Haas and Alfa Romeo have both been supplied with fresh engines in Melbourne, another sign that the Italian manufacturer’s unit may be suffering from reliability issues.

In Saudi Arabia last time out, Charles Leclerc was hit with a 10-place grid penalty as a result of his team adding a third control electronics to his pool of hardware.

The Monegasque had already encountered a CE issue in the opening round in Bahrain.

Read also: ‘No fundamental issue’ with new Ferrari, insists Sainz

As a precautionary measure, Ferrari also supplied both Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz with new Internal Combustion Engines in Jeddah.

While new components were added to the Scuderia’s hardware inventory in Melbourne, Ferrari’s customer teams – Alfa and Haas – were supplied with new ICE’s for both outfits’ drivers.

It’s therefore the second of three ICEs authorized by the rules for the duration of the 2023 season.

The changes have not warranted any penalties as all teams remain within their annual allowance, but swapping engines as early as the third race in a 23-round season is worrying for Ferrari.

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Christian Horner says Red Bull discovered earlier this year a Daniel Ricciardo that was very different from the one that had left the team at the end of 2018.

Last summer, Ricciardo and McLaren agreed to part ways at the end of the season after two unfruitful years together during which the Aussie never succeeded in establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with at Woking.

Ricciardo was released from the final year of his three-year deal with the Woking-based outfit, and subsequently picked up by Red Bull as the team’s third driver, a role that also involved simulator and development work at Milton Keynes.

So far, Horner has been impressed by the Aussie’s energy and commitment to the team.

Read also: Jones ‘just can’t see’ Ricciardo returning to the grid