World champion Max Verstappen wary of a redesigned track at Albert Park

World champion Max Verstappen is looking forward to a "smooth weekend" on top of his victory in Saudi Arabia but is wary of a redesigned track at Albert Park when Formula racing is back in Melbourne after a two-year gap.

The 24-year-old Red Bull driver was relieved last month as he struggled for a thrilling victory ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in Jeddah.

Verstappen had a satisfying victory after Monaco's Leclerc won the season-opening Grand Prix in Bahrain, but the Dutchman was unable to finish.

The young rivals once again become the men to beat in the third race of the year. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is desperate for an improvement from Mercedes at a circuit where he has claimed eight poles, including the last six.

It will be a new experience for all drivers as Albert Park has undergone major changes since the Grand Prix was first hosted in 1996.

Full resurfacing was performed with seven modified corners and two deleted. It reduces the engine speed to 14, increases the chances of overtaking, and is up to 5 seconds faster than before.

In 2015, Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut in Melbourne for Red Bull s junior team Toro Rosso.

Hamilton is the only driver who has won more F1 races than any other driver in history; he has received the top podium two times in Australia, but not since 2015.