The greatest show on earth returns this Sunday, as the engines are awakened from their winter slumber and prepare to roar into action once again at Albert Park in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. Torrential rain postponed the latter parts of qualifying to Sunday morning, adding tension to what would have already been a nervous morning for the drivers. Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull have been dominant in the last few season and sent out an early warning to their rivals, topping the time sheets in the Friday practice sessions, which were run in the dry.
Below we look at the early odds for the Australian GP, as well as the early long term odds for the season.
Australian Qualifying And Race Odds
|
Driver |
Qualifying Odds |
Race Odds |
| Vettel |
8/13 |
6/5 |
| Alonso |
5/1 |
9/2 |
| Hamilton |
8/1 |
7/1 |
| Webber |
11/1 |
10/1 |
| Rosberg |
12/1 |
14/1 |
| Raikkonen |
22/1 |
9/1 |
| Grosjean |
22/1 |
33/1 |
| Button |
33/1 |
18/1 |
| Massa |
40/1 |
25/1 |
| Perez |
50/1 |
40/1 |
Jenson Button has proven to be somewhat of a specialist over the Alberta Park circuit, winning three of the last four races run at the venue, including the season opener last time out. With conditions expected to be good for qualifying and the race on Sunday, however, pre-season times indicate that Button will have his work cut out to replicate that performance. Giving too much attention to pre-season testing is folly, however, as the unpredictable start to last season indicated.
Defending champion Sebastian Vettel gets the shortest odds by virtue of his car’s fast times during the Friday practice runs, but picking a winner for the opener will be difficult. At 11/1 and with arguably the quickest car underneath him, Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber offers better value to come out on top in qualifying. The Australian’s fourth place finish last season was his best at his home circuit, and he will be adamant to put the poor run to rest with a strong start.
Driver’s Championship Odds
|
Driver |
Championship Odds |
| Vettel |
5/4 |
| Alonso |
11/4 |
| Hamilton |
8/1 |
| Webber |
18/1 |
| Rosberg |
14/1 |
| Raikkonen |
10/1 |
| Grosjean |
33/1 |
| Button |
12/1 |
| Massa |
25/1 |
| Perez |
33/1 |
Fernando Alonso has lost out on the driver’s championship in the closing stages of two of the last three seasons despite having a noticeably inferior car to his rivals, and early indications are that the Spaniard will have a stronger car to work with this season. Ferrari team manager Stefano Domenicali sounded confident in the late stages of the pre-season, but only time will tell whether his team have caught up with the Red Bulls. Again, it is too early to call at this stage of the season, but it would seem that Vettel will again be the man to beat, but expect these odds to shift as the season progresses.
Constructor’s Championship Odds
|
Team |
Championship Odds |
|
Red Bull |
8/11 |
|
Ferrari |
3/1 |
|
McLaren |
7/1 |
|
Mercedes |
9/1 |
|
Lotus |
14/1 |
One team which seems to have taken a step backwards this season is McLaren, who following the departure of 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes, will now look to Button to lead their challenge, along with his inexperienced but talented teammate Sergio Perez. Early season testing hasn’t been the most promising, but a few victories this season are to be expected for the British outfit.
Mercedes come into this season with renewed vigour, as the recruitment of Lewis Hamilton will likely boost their performance. Ross Brawn has moulded championship winning cars and drivers in the past, and his chance to work with Hamilton could prove to be fruitful; if not this season, then the next. Red Bull is consistently the stronger of the constructors with both drivers competing at the top. Felipe Massa was too inconsistent for Ferrari to challenge for this championship last season, as were McLaren and Lotus.
Check out the official Formula 1 website to get all the latest news and updates.
Tagged With : Alberta Park • Alonso • Australian Grand Prix • Button • F1 • Ferrari • Formula One • Hamilton • McLaren • Red Bull • Vettel