Motor Racing

Leclerc Value At 4/1 To Get Off To A Flyer In Australia?

1 hour ago

| BY Sam Cox

2022 Formula 1 Car at the Hungarian Grand Prix Race - Ferrari - Charles LeClerc- Race Day - Tight

The Australian Grand Prix has returned to its rightful slot as the opening race of the Formula One season.

Below, we have delved into the F1 betting markets to provide a comprehensive race preview of this weekend’s curtain raiser.

Australian Grand Prix Winner Odds:

George Russell – 2/1
Max Verstappen – 4/1
Charles Leclerc – 4/1
Lewis Hamilton – 6/1
Kimi Antonelli – 8/1
Lando Norris – 10/1
Oscar Piastri – 12/1

Weather

The weather is set fair in Melbourne. There’s a slight – and very slight, at that – chance of rain during qualifying on Saturday, but it looks like teams will be able to focus on their dry performance.

From a betting perspective, this should make the weekend a little easier to predict and makes it more useful as an information-gathering experience for the races to come in China and Japan.

New Regulations Bring Uncharted Territory

All of the top four teams were very close in the Barcelona shakedown and testing in Bahrain. No one wanted to show their true pace to the rest of the field, with each team wanting to suggest one of their rivals has their nose ahead heading into the opening weekend of the season.

Most people expect Mercedes to be the fastest car on the grid, but Ferrari put in some good times in Bahrain and Lewis Hamilton has been far more optimistic than he was at any point in 2025.

McLaren aren’t going to have the same advantage they had early last season, but they still project to be in the mix for race wins in the first few weeks of the season. It would be foolish to write off Red Bull.

First Sight of Wheel-to-Wheel Racing

Perhaps the biggest unknown is how these new lighter cars look on race day. There’s no DRS, which has been replaced by an electrical boost, and there are some concerns about how much of a role energy harvesting will play.

Are we going to see drivers lifting and coasting on Sunday? Could that even be a factor in qualifying? Albert Park was already a difficult place to overtake – will drivers have the speed to make moves?

Australian Grand Prix 2026 Prediction

Verstappen’s downshifting might not be ideal with the energy harvesting requirements. McLaren are quick, but far from dominant.

After seeing Verstappen battling the two papaya cars in 2025, we could see a major change in Melbourne with Mercedes and Ferrari in the ascendancy.

At least one of Verstappen, Norris, or Oscar Piastri made the podium in every race last season. It’s very feasible none of them are in the top three this Sunday.

Charles Leclerc ended testing on a high. Hamilton showed he had great pace in Bahrain. George Russell’s Mercedes might have the best power unit, but the windy track in Melbourne will limit that advantage.

Best bet: Charles Leclerc to win (4/1)

Podium prediction: 1st – Charles Leclerc, 2nd – Lewis Hamilton, 3rd – George Russell