F1 Australian Grand Prix predictions: Leclerc can power his way to glory

Free Formula 1 tips, best bets and analysis for the F1 Australian Grand Prix on Sunday

Where to watch

Sky Sports F1

Practice one 4am, Friday
Practice two 7am, Friday
Practice three 4am, Saturday
Qualifying 7am, Saturday
Race 6am Sunday

Best bet

Charles Leclerc to win Australian Grand Prix
1pt 13-8 Betfred

Preview

Having been absent for the last two years, the Australian Grand Prix is back on the F1 calendar and the drivers will relish the more conventional surroundings after two evening races in the Middle East.

Those early-season rounds were characterised by fantastic duels between world champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and more of the same can be expected in Melbourne.

There is virtually nothing between the cars in terms of performance. Verstappen was set to finish a close second in Bahrain before engine trouble struck.

Three of the four Red Bull-powered cars failed to finish there, but their reliability issues were less evident in Saudi Arabia as Verstappen fought his way up from fourth on the grid to win.

Leclerc led a good chunk of that race after a fortuitously-timed safety car handed him the lead, but while he battled bravely the Monegasque was unable to hold off Verstappen’s late charge.

The Dutchman is favourite to win in Australia on the strength of that performance, but Leclerc looks the better early bet at the prices.

Having scored a 1-2 finish at the power track that is Bahrain, Ferrari opted to run more downforce in Jeddah. That will have made the car more stable but at the cost of top speed.

That left Verstappen’s Red Bull, noticeably quicker on the straights and flat-out sweeps, in better shape to overtake. It can be considered a small mistake on the part of Ferrari – never the most astute strategically.

The Albert Park circuit has had a facelift since F1’s last visit, raising the average speed, while there will be an unprecedented four DRS zones. That is likely to make power more important than previously, and Leclerc should arguably be favourite.

One consideration is that with two weeks since the last race, teams may have introduced their first upgrades. Red Bull have historically been masters of developing their cars, but eight-time consecutive champions Mercedes need a quick fix.

Lewis Hamilton was only tenth in Saudi, but the team claim to know what their problem is. Whether they know how to rectify it is another matter.

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