Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Prediction: Let the games begin!

The 75th Formula 1 World Championship season will begin with the Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne. Like last year, it will be another record-breaking season with as many as 24 stops on the calendar, ‘scattered’ across five continents. From the first free practice session in Melbourne on March 14 to the last race in Abu Dhabi on December 7, there are 269 days. This will also be the last season in this era of Formula 1, referring to the current technical rules. New car regulations come into force next year, and based on previous experiences, we have the right to expect that the competition in 2025 will be very interesting and, let’s hope, uncertain until the end.

Fight for the throne

Max Verstappen remains Red Bull's main hope and will defend the title, or rather try to win his fifth in a row. No driver in history has managed to win the first five titles in a row. Max could definitely do it, but he has a tough job ahead of him. Red Bull lost power in the second part of last season and started to lose to its competitors. McLaren won the constructors' title, its first after a 25-year wait. Ferrari also 'revived', was in the game until the last race and finished in second place, ahead of a disappointed Red Bull in third. Mercedes was also there, fourth in the standings, but with some very good performances and victories. Seven different drivers in the race winner's seat in 2024 – we wish it to happen again!

What else to expect in 2025?

Interesting technology wars between teams, with certain games being played with flexible wings right from the start. It would be a huge surprise if the level of judging in Formula 1 improved, so we will probably have strange and even stranger decisions from the judges. It would not be too unusual if there were some changes in the driver lineups during the season - for example, some are already replacing Doohan with Colapinto, even though the season has not even started yet. Maybe not like last year, but it will be interesting in the driver market for 2026. There are quite a few teams that have open options, and two additional places appear in the new Cadillac team.

McLaren dominated in the qualifications

Free practice results predicted good pace for McLaren, but not so bad for Ferrari. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastre have taken the front row for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen in Red Bull starts third ahead of George Russell in Mercedes. Both Ferrari drivers had high ambitions before this race, but they failed in the qualifications and will start from the seventh and eighth place.

Expert Betting Tips

Looking at the list of past winners in Australia, this race stands out for the very large number of drivers who have climbed to the top step of the podium. There are as many as 20 of them. The most successful was Michael Schumacher, who won four times. Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel have three victories each. Of the active drivers, only Hamilton has two victories, and Leclerc, Verstappen and, since last year, Sainz have one each. The situation is somewhat different with the winners of the best starting positions. Hamilton stands out significantly here with eight and his idol Senna with six. Among the other active drivers, Verstappen has two, and Leclerc one. Rain is expected during the race, it will certainly cause chaos on the circuit, but I expect to see more from Leclerc and Hamilton, and I believe that Leclerc will finish on the podium in the end.

OUR PREDICTION: Charles Leclerc in top 3