Australian Grand Prix: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

After just a three-month winter break, the F1 world championship returns this weekend with the first race of the 2025 season around the streets of Melbourne in the Australian Grand Prix. 

The race Down Under is back in the first slot on the calendar for the first time since 2019 and will see Max Verstappen beginning his bid to land a fifth successive world championship.

No driver has dominated at this venue, though, with different winners of each of the last five runnings. Carlos Sainz Jr. won for Ferrari last season after Verstappen retired early in the race with brake problems.

Australian Grand Prix free betting picks and predictions

Lando Norris to win - 15/8

Max Verstappen is only third in the betting as he begins the latest defence of his F1 crown in Australia and the first two practice sessions in Melbourne appeared to confirm that the Red Bull star does not have the fastest car at the start of the season.

Instead, the pattern seen in pre-season testing was confirmed with McLaren and Ferrari appearing to be the top two teams. Lando Norris, the world championship favourite, set the fastest time in the opening session, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was top of the times in the Australian afternoon, with only a small gap between the teams.

McLaren have shown that they are likely to have the edge when it comes to longer runs on race fuel loads, and that gives Norris, who was third in practice two, an excellent chance of adding his name to the list of Melbourne winners.

The Briton won four races last season but should realistically have had several more successes than that as his team failed to make the most of their pace in the second half of the campaign.

McLaren won the constructors title and have had an air of confidence about them so far this year.

An example of Norris not maximising his potential was last year's Brazilian Grand Prix, when McLaren had a clear edge in dry conditions but suffered a major blow to their championship chances when the rain came and Verstappen took a brilliant win on a wet track.

The weather might prove to be the biggest threat to Norris again this weekend, with showers in the forecast for race day, but if the rain stays away or his team make the right calls in mixed conditions, he looks the most likely winner.

Norris has never really gone to Melbourne with a winning chance previously but he has had some solid races there and was third last season before his team received their impressive mid-season upgrades.

Two of Norris's wins last season came on street circuits - his maiden victory in Miami and his Singapore success at Marina Bay - and he can get his championship bid off to a fast start.

Oscar Piastri to finish 3rd - 9/2

Norris's McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri received a major pay rise this week when signing a new contract and the Melbourne man is driving in his home city this weekend.

Piastri's fourth place in the 2024 championship helped his team win the constructors title but he was outqualified 20-4 by Norris and, while he should be close behind, last season's championship runner-up is likely to have the edge this weekend.

The Aussie had two wins and six other podium finishes in his second F1 season and another top-three finish looks within his grasp in the opener.

It may be on the lowest step of the podium, though, as Charles Leclerc looks a real contender for the race win. The Ferrari man won this race in 2022 and was runner-up last year and he looks a prime candidate to finish second again. 

Backing Piastri to come third could also work out if Verstappen finds more pace than expected to secure a top-two finish, and odds of 9/2 are attractive.

Isack Hadjar points finish - 12/5

The Racing Bulls team have another new name this year, having been Toro Rosso, Alpha Tauri and Visa Cash App RB in their recent incarnations, and they also have a new driver who could make a good impression in his first F1 race.

Rookie Isack Hadjar was runner-up in the Formula 2 championship last season and the French driver may have arrived in the Racing Bulls team at the right time as they showed up well in practice.

Hadjar was ninth in practice one with team-mate Yuki Tsunoda 11th, while in the afternoon session, Tsunoda was fourth and Hadjar an impressive sixth. 

The rookie is 12/5 to finish in the top 10 in his debut race and that looks well worth taking, especially as he won the F2 feature race in Melbourne last year from eighth on the grid.

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Australian Grand Prix outright odds

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.