'Painful for everyone': F1 driver's huge gripe with the Australian GP

Organisers of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix have been hit with a brutal truth bomb, with two leading drivers expressing disappointment about the third event of the new season.

The F1 has returned to Melbourne's Albert Park for the first time since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, not everyone is happy.

'CANCEL CULTURE': Russian driver hits out over brutal F1 axing

'TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE': F1 boss fumes amid Mercedes struggles

HUGE: Red Bull's 'stratospheric' offer to Daniel Ricciardo comes to light

Star drivers Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz have both expressed their reservations about where the Australian race sits on the calendar.

Red Bull's Perez - seventh in the F1 drivers' standings after the opening two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia - suggested the distance the drivers have to travel for one race in Australia is problematic.

The Mexican called the travel situation "painful for everyone" and insisted that the Australian GP's place on the F1 calendar should be reviewed.

“As the season is getting longer and longer, we need to get a better balance.” Perez said

“It works well at the moment because we are doing the winter testing in Bahrain, it makes sense to stay there,” Perez said.

“But it really has to be back-to-back with one of those races because just coming to Australia for a single race is quite painful for everyone.”

For many years, Albert Park has played host to the first race of the new season but with Covid-19 wreaking havoc over the last few years, the Australian GP has lost its status as the sport's season-opening race.

That honour has since been bestowed upon Bahrain, which has hosted the season-opening races in 2021 and 2022, and crucially which also hosts the second and final pre-season testing events.

Ferrari star Sainz said he also thought it was a "shame" that Melbourne was no longer hosting the first race of the season, with the Spaniard expressing similar concerns to Perez about the distance to travel to Australia.

“(It’s a) bit of a shame it is not the number one race,” Sainz said.

“It gives you that extra vibe to come all the way here, it’s such a long trip.”

Daniel Ricciardo happy to be back racing in Australia

One man who will be excited more than most to return to Albert Park is Australia's Daniel Ricciardo, who will be hoping to grab his first points of the season after a disappointing start to 2022.

The Australian ace reckons a top-10 finish in Sunday's race would be somewhat of a victory for his struggling McLaren team.

Ricciardo and his fellow F1 drivers are getting their first look at a redeveloped Albert Park circuit on Friday.

The two practice sessions are set to be insightful amid widespread track changes undertaken during the COVID-enforced two-year absence of F1 from Australia.

"I am beyond excited to get back out on track in Melbourne," Ricciardo said.

"Nothing beats a home crowd and the Australian fans are some of the best in the world."

Ricciardo spent more than a week in his home city of Perth after failing to finish the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

That Jeddah race followed a 14th place in the season-opener in Bahrain as McLaren battle with teething problems in their cars.

In a nutshell, Ricciardo's McLaren is suffering a lack of grip to the track, particularly slow when cornering, resulting in widespread headaches.

Ricciardo was involved in the redevelopment tweaks to the Albert Park track.

His inside knowledge was a factor as the entire circuit was resurfaced and seven corners altered - including two removed altogether - in a bid to offer more overtaking chances.

But Ricciardo admits: "We still have a long way to go.

"We're focused on the task at hand.

"Let's get back out there, fight as hard as we can, and hopefully put on a bit of a show"

Most pundits tip the show to be dominated again by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who won in Bahrain and was edged to second in Jeddah last month by Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen.

Ferrari has already banked a double podium with Leclerc holding a 12-point lead over his teammate Sainz, with Verstappen some 20 points behind the leader.

with AAP

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.