Australian Grand Prix Prediction and Betting Tips: Three bets for Melbourne
Formula 1 rolls into Melbourne this weekend for the Australian Grand Prix and Red Bull's rivals will be hoping they at least make inroads into the Milton Keynes team's massive advantage.
Free Bets
Get £40 in free bets when you sign up to BetMGM and place a £10 bet on the Australian Grand Prix.
- Open a BetMGM account using this link
- Place a £10 qualifying bet
- Get credited with £40 in free bets
World Champion Max Verstappen has got his quest for a fourth consecutive world title off to the perfect start with two wins from pole position and there is a feeling he has yet to show his full capability.
Ferrari have been the only team capable of getting within sniffing distance of Red Bull's exhaust fumes so far and Charles Leclerc will be hoping that his fastest lap in Saudi Arabia and two front-row qualifying positions are a sign that he could lay down a challenge before long.
Australian Grand Prix Tips
McLaren have not begun the season as competitively as they would have liked given their superb form in the second half of 2023, but they are infinitely stronger than at this point last season.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified fifth and sixth in Saudi Arabia last time out and Lewis Hamilton, giving chase in his Mercedes, was shocked by the papaya car’s pace through the high-speed sections.
That bodes well for Melbourne, which features plenty of quick changes of direction and home hero Piastri is worth a bet to follow up his fourth-place finish in Jeddah with another top-six position.
It's pretty competitive for the unwanted role of third-fastest team between McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin, but the combination of a suitable circuit and strong race pace could well see the Woking-based outfit come out on top in that battle this weekend.
The ever luckless Leclerc did not enjoy his first outing of the season as he battled braking and handling issues throughout the Bahrain Grand Prix, ultimately finishing fourth having started second at a track he usually enjoys.
Things went smoother in Saudi Arabia last time, as the Monegasque driver again claimed a starting spot on the front row and took the fastest lap of the race.
He was unable to chase down Sergio Perez, who had older tyres fitted to his Red Bull, for second place, but a podium finish at least confirmed Ferrari as a clear second-best at this early stage of the campaign.
The team will assess whether Carlos Sainz is fit to resume racing this weekend.
British teenager Oliver Bearman was called up at short notice in Jeddah and, while he did a terrific job on his F1 debut, his seventh place finish was somewhat lower than a healthy Sainz would have expected.
Even if the Spaniard returns in Melbourne, he is unlikely to be in peak shape, leaving Leclerc with what seems an open goal of an opportunity to grab another podium.
The middle of the Formula 1 grid is traditionally fiercely competitive, but this season it seems as though the top five teams enjoy a significant advantage over the rest.
Given that world championship points are awarded only to the top ten finishers, that means half the grid are hoping for someone up front to drop out to give them a realistic hope of picking up any points.
When Lance Stroll hit the wall in his Aston Martin in Jeddah, the Haas team used clever tactics to deliver Nico Hulkenberg into 10th place, but Williams' Alex Albon could be the one to back to open his tally this weekend.
The Thai-British racer is one of the stars of the lower half of the field and he only just missed out in Saudi, finishing 11th.
Albon was running in a strong sixth in the early stages in Australia last year, but pushed a little too hard and clouted a wall.
Subscribe now for the latest previews, exclusive tips supported by stats, and top offers sent directly to your inbox.
Australian Grand Prix Winner Odds
2023 Australian GP victor Max Verstappen leads the way in the betting at just 2/9 as he bids to make it a hat-trick of wins at the start of the 2024 season. He really does look unbeatable at the moment and it would be a huge shock if he didn't claim yet another victory.
If you're thinking of testing the waters, Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is the arguably most likely challenger at 15/1. Despite looking promising in practice, Charles Leclerc looks a touch short at 6/1, while the British trio of Lando Norris (33/1), George Russell (40/1), and Lewis Hamilton (50/1) are all outsiders.
Browse the latest in the betting below.