Formula One 2020 season betting news

The 71st Formula One world championship begins with this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, and reigning champion Lewis Hamilton is a warm order to claim a record-equalling seventh drivers title.

Sixteen years after Michael Schumacher claimed the last of his seven world championships, Hamilton is rated a 4-7 chance to match that tally following a promising pre-season for his Mercedes team.

The Silver Arrows completed the most laps during the two weeks of winter testing in Barcelona and also set the fastest time of pre-season in the hands of Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas. The Finn can be backed at 8-1 to beat Hamilton to the title this year.

Ferrari traditionally go into a new season full of confidence, but there are worried faces at the Scuderia after a relatively low-key winter.

Charles Leclerc, who won two races for Ferrari last year on his way to fourth place in the standings, is 13-2. His teammate Sebastian Vettel, four times a world champion, is rated a 12-1 chance for a fifth crown.

Red Bull have tended to start recent seasons slowly before improving as the year progresses.

There's an air of quiet confidence about the Milton Keynes-based team this year though, and their lead driver Max Verstappen is second favourite for the title at 11-2.

Track action begins in Melbourne at 1am Friday, UK & Ireland time with the first practice session. Qualifying is at 6am Saturday morning with the race due to start at 5.10am Sunday.

Hamilton, who has finished second in Melbourne for the last four years, heads the race market at 6-5.

Coronavirus latest

The opening race in Melbourne is currently scheduled to take place as planned, despite travel restrictions due to the coronavirus outbreak, particularly in Italy where the Ferrari and Alpha Tauri teams and tyre suppliers Pirelli are based.

But the Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled for April 19, was postponed last month, and the second race of the season, in Bahrain on March 22, is set to take place behind closed doors. The third race, the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix in Hanoi, could also be threatened.

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