F1 Tips:
Overall Qualification Winner – Charles Leclerc (E/W)
Safety Car – Yes
Points Finish – Nico Hülkenberg
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
G’day! If you fancy watching Formula 1 in the arvo this weekend then you’re out of luck as you’ll have to get up *pretty* early to catch the Australian Grand Prix.
That’s right, the F1 circus is Down Under for round three of the 2024 season and Max Verstappen is bidding to continue his perfect start to the year at Albert Park Circuit.
If it wasn’t for Haas driver Kevin Magnussen’s defensive antics then the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a fortnight ago would have been a snooze fest as Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez disappeared into the distance to prompt further concerns that this campaign will merely be a procession for Red Bull.
A repeat of last term’s Australian Grand Prix would be worth getting up for, however, as it provided plenty of drama. A total of three red flags – a record for a Formula 1 race – prompted plenty of restarts, with the most chaotic seeing Alpine blow their chance at double points when Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon collided into one another.
Verstappen took the chequered flag on what turned out to be a terrible weekend for Ferrari – and the Prancing Horse will hopefully enjoy better luck this season as they look like being the only team capable of bringing the challenge to Red Bull.
I’ve run the rule over Paddy Power’s odds for the Australian Grand Prix and picked out a few fancies. Let’s get into gear and head on over!
Australian Grand Prix
Qualifying: Saturday 5am
Race: Sunday 4am
TV: Sky Sports F1
Overall Qualification Winner – Charles Leclerc (E/W)
Charles Leclerc has qualified second behind Max Verstappen in the two Grands Prix of the 2024 season so far and looks like the best bet to deny the Dutchman a third pole position in a row.
While Ferrari’s off-season development focused on improving their race pace, the SF-24 still packs a punch over one lap and should handle the stop-start nature of the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne.
Leclerc is no stranger to pole position in the Australia after qualifying fastest in 2022 before successfully converting into the race win. He could only qualify seventh in last year’s edition but admitted to a poor performance and you can put a line through what was generally an awful weekend for Ferrari.
Ahead of the first practice session, the terms of Paddy Power’s each-way betting for the Overall Qualification Winner – 1/3 odds for two places – would represent a small loss on your stake if Leclerc finishes second, but he is more than capable of producing the goods over one lap to start the race at the head of the grid.
Safety Car – Yes
The Safety Car has been deployed in 70 per cent of the last 10 editions of the Australian Grand Prix – and it was a familiar sight in last year’s incident-packed race.
It is worth remembering that Albert Park is a street circuit thus making it a high-risk track for the Safety Car so any retirements or crashes means Bernd Mayländer should pop out to make an appearance.
Points Finish – Nico Hülkenberg
The most surprising development of the 2024 season has been Haas’ competitiveness. The VF-24 remains quick over one lap but, unlike its predecessor, doesn’t eat through the tyres at an alarming rate.
A great bit of strategy and defensive driving from Kevin Magnussen ensured Nico Hülkenberg scored a point in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and there is a case to be made that Haas look like the best of the rest behind the five best teams – Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin – at this early stage.
If the Safety Car does make an appearance then the opportunity is there for drivers to be out of position and some surprising names to pop up in the top 10.
Hülkenberg could be one to potentially benefit and a deep dive into the German’s Australian Grand Prix record makes for encouraging reading as it reads 6-7-7-11-7-7-7 when completing the race.
Australian Grand Prix Tips:
Overall Qualification Winner – Charles Leclerc (E/W)
Safety Car – Yes
Points Finish – Nico Hülkenberg
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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