Best Bets: F1 Australian Grand Prix Pre-Event Odds Analysis

Schedule and How to Watch the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

A late Saturday night is on the cards for race fans in the United States, with the green flag set to drop on Sunday’s Grand Prix at midnight, eastern time on March 16th. Practice 1 gets underway on Thursday night, March 13th from 9:30 PM ET.

The ESPN cameras are set up around the Albert Park circuit and ready to bring you every second of action throughout the weekend.

Weather Forecast for the Australian Grand Prix

Two beautiful days are forecast on Friday and Saturday as the practice sessions and qualifying bring the Melbourne Grand Prix circuit to life. Sun is on the cards for Friday, which is as good as it will get all weekend. The clouds are set to move in on Saturday during qualifying, but temperatures will rise into the 80s.

Windy is predicting 0.28 inches of rain during the Grand Prix on Sunday, which could play into the hands of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, two experts in wet conditions.

What is F1 DFS Betting

Formula 1 Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) gives you a chance to win if your drivers and constructor return more points than other players picks. You pick five drivers (one is designated as your captain), and a constructors team. Points are assigned to each driver based on how they finish, fastest laps, laps led and starting grid position. The captain receives double the amount of points.

All points count towards your total, and the player with the highest points tally at the checkered flag wins the pot.

F1 Australian GP Winner 

Lando Norris (+235)

Lando Norris enters Albert Park as the clear favorite to take the season opener. The Briton delivered his best campaign in F1 last season, finishing runner up in the Drivers’ Championship behind Max Verstappen. Lando impressed in testing, racing to the fastest time on day 1 in Bahrain. Norris picked up four race wins in 2024, including the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

F1 Australian GP Podium

Charles Leclerc (-145)

The Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, set the lap record at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in 2024, racing around in 1:19.813. He looks to be Lando’s closest contender for the showdown in Victoria, but the Monégasque native is a safer option for a podium finish. Charles was among the most consistent drivers last season, racking up 13 podiums, including three victories.

Max Verstappen (-145)

Four-time champion, Max Verstappen, showed his caliber in the final testing session in February, finishing 20 split seconds behind George Russell. He achieved this despite struggling with the same understeer issue from last season. “Mad Max” isn’t confident heading into this race, but he’s still a contender for a podium, having started on pole at this venue last time.

Lewis Hamilton (+182)

A new year, a new team as Lewis Hamilton dons the red overalls for the first time in a grand prix. His testing performance was difficult to judge. He set the second-fastest time overall behind Carlos Sainz, but drove the fourth fewest laps, only surpassing the Red Bull drivers and Lance Stroll. The two-time Australian GP Champion appears more comfortable in his Italian car than he did at his old team last season.

F1 Australian GP Top 6

Oscar Piastri (-265)

Local favorite, Oscar Piastri, starts his home grand prix after finishing as the fourth best Formula 1 driver in 2024. The Melburnian has a knack for finishing inside the top six, registering 15 such results last season. Included in his strong run of form were eight podiums.

George Russell (-121)

Mercedes senior driver George Russell pieced together a respectable testing run, ending day three with the fastest lap time. His car looks in better shape this season, but despite struggling at times in 2024, the Briton still thrived, crossing the line inside the top six 15 times. In his final 10 races last season, Russell’s worst finish was seventh.

Kimi Antonelli (+210)

Rookie, Kimi Antonelli, is a name to remember as we head into the season. The Italian teenager only needed one season of Formula 2 racing to prove his worth to Mercedes and earn a seat on the team. Kimi raced 26 times in the F2 division last year, picking three podiums, two wins and finishing sixth in the overall standings. The 18-year-old is an apparent wunderkind, but let’s see how he handles the pressure of the big stage.

Australian GP Top 10

Liam Lawson (-415)

The full-season rookie, Liam Lawson, posted the 11th fastest time in testing, but only completed 149 laps, 111 fewer than Esteban Ocon. Lawson has raced 11 times in F1, filling in as a reserve driver for AlphaTauri and Red Bull Honda. The kiwi has finished inside the top 10 in three races, but this Red Bull is a step up despite its challenges.

Carlos Sainz (-102)

Spaniard Carlos Sainz returns to the track where he won just under 12 months ago. He starts in a new car, switching over to the Atlassian Williams garage at the start of 2025. Williams will give Sainz a new challenge, which he seems to be embracing, after setting the fastest lap time across all sessions during the 2025 testing.

Fernando Alonso (+157)

Aston Martin top dog, Fernando Alonso, last took the checkered flag in Melbourne in 2006 as a Renault driver. The two-time Drivers’ Champion strung together a consistent campaign last year, crossing the line inside the top 10 on 14 occasions. However, if testing is anything to go by, Fernando lags his teammate Lance Stroll in lap times.

H2H of Interest

Australian GP Constructor Winner

McLaren

Lando Norris set the fastest lap speed on day 1 of testing, while Piastri put in a strong showing on the final day. McLaren opted to focus on race simulations rather than pure speed in Bahrain, and still they were up there with the leaders.

Ferrari

The Italian outfit are feeling rejuvenated after the arrival of Lewis Hamilton and are optimistic heading into the season opener. Il Cavallino Rampante took the one, two at Albert Park in 2024, with Charles Leclerc finishing just over two seconds behind Sainz. 

Red Bull

Six-time Constructors’ Champion Red Bull are looking to brush aside comments by their star driver that the team doesn’t possess the right car to take the checkered flag at the Melbourne Grand Prix circuit. The Milton Keynes based team is still dealing with the mid-corner slow speed understeer challenge that plagued them last season.

Qualifying Winner

Lando Norris (+195)

Lando tied Max Verstappen in 2024, producing eight pole positions on the circuit. The Brit started third on the grid on his last trip to Melbourne behind Verstappen and finished the race 

In third.

Max Verstappen (+387)

“Mad Max” has been frank about his and Red Bull’s chances heading into the season opener. He grabbed pole position in the Victorian Capital last year, but retired in the opening laps after smoke and flames emerged from the back of his car. Given the genius of his driving skills, you can never discount Max Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc (+887)

The Melbourne GP lap record holder is looking to go one better here, after his runner-up performance last time out. Charles Leclerc qualified fourth and made up two places to give Ferrari the full complement of points.

Australian GP Winner WO (Excl. McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes)

Carlos Sainz (+286)

When putting aside the dominant teams and drivers, Carlos Sainz stands out. The Spaniard stood at the top of the podium twice last season for Ferrari, and finished inside the top six in 19 races.

Fernando Alonso (+612)

Formula 1 veteran Fernando Alonso continues to race amongst the pack as a consistent top 10 finisher last season.

Alex Albon (+680)

Thai driver Alex Albon highlighted the improved stature of the Williams’ car for the season ahead. He finished testing with the sixth fastest lap time, adding to his run of four top 10s in 2024.

Where to Bet on the F1 Australian GP

Visit our partner sportsbooks to access special deals that will elevate your betting experience as you anticipate the upcoming Grand Prix season. If you’re a newbie in the world of F1 betting, our comprehensive F1 Betting Guide is a must-read. Remember to enjoy the race and make your betting choices wisely. Betting responsibly ensures the fun lasts all season long.

As the green flag drops on the 2025 season, the Australian Grand Prix offers the first chance to enjoy Formula 1 betting and DFS. Can Lando live up to expectations Down Under or will Carlos Sainz retain the trophy he won last time out?