Australian Grand Prix Predictions & Betting tips - Formula 1

Prediction published on 23/03/2024, 08:30  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 23/03/2024 at 08:40

The third round of the 2024 F1 season heads down under for the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday morning. Defending champion Max Verstappen currently leads the driver standings with two wins in two, while teammate Sergio Perez is second and Charles Leclerc is in third. 

Verstappen is set to vie for his tenth consecutive victory at the Australian Grand Prix after securing pole position during a challenging qualifying session. The Red Bull ace hit his stride in the final stage of qualifying at Albert Park, securing the front of the grid by nearly three-tenths of a second ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. However, it was Sainz who caught the eye during qualifying, as he was the fastest in both Q1 and Q2 and showed no signs of suffering the effects of the discomfort caused by appendicitis, which caused him to miss out on the Saudi Arabian GP. While Red Bull typically maintains an edge over Ferrari in longer distances on race day, the Australian GP presents an added challenge with the high level of tire wear. The first two races of the season indicate that Ferrari has addressed its previous struggles with tire degradation, which could hold them in good stead here. 

Further back, Sergio Perez initially secured third place in the second Red Bull during qualifying, but he was subsequently penalized three grid places by Melbourne stewards, dropping him to sixth due to impeding Haas' Nico Hulkenberg in Q1. McLaren's Lando Norris, who had qualified in fourth position, now advances to the front of the second row. Following a challenging Friday, Mercedes seemed to make progress during the earlier final practice session, offering a glimpse of improvement. However, qualifying once again highlighted the weaknesses of the W15 car. Lewis Hamilton, who boasts a record eight pole positions at the Australian Grand Prix, faced disappointment as he was eliminated in Q2, managing only the 11th position on the grid – his lowest starting position in Melbourne in 14 years. Hamilton's teammate George Russell qualified in seventh position, trailing by eight-tenths of a second off the pace.