Australian Grand Prix prediction: Norris and Verstappen to ignite championship battle

Read our free F1 betting tips ahead of the first race of the new season in Melbourne on Sunday

McLaren were fastest in preseason testing in Bahrain (Getty Images)

Australian Grand Prix betting tips

• Lando Norris & Max Verstappen to finish top 2 – 9/2 Bet365
• Oscar Piastri to finish on the podium - 11/10 William Hill

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Formula 1 returns this weekend as the Australian Grand Prix gets underway in Melbourne, with yet another hotly anticipated season expected in 2025.

There are a number of intriguing storylines to develop between now and December, from how Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will work out to Max Verstappen’s bid for a fifth straight world championship – and Lando Norris’ attempts to stop him.

It’s set to be a close season at the top with little evidence that there’s much to separate McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull so far, and this is reflected in both the race betting and outright markets, with F1 betting sites offering Norris as the favourite to win the championship at 13/8, closely followed by Verstappen at 10/3 and Charles Leclerc at 9/2.

And ahead of Melbourne it is the same trio who are fancied to win the race on most betting apps, with Norris a best price of 15/8, while the bookies are struggling to split Leclerc and Verstappen.

Preseason testing in Bahrain indicated that McLaren have the faster car – hence Norris’ odds – but plenty can happen on raceday, with Oscar Piastri looking to place in his home race and Lewis Hamilton hoping to get off to a dream start for the Scuderia.

Australian GP Betting Preview: Title rivals to pick up where they left off

Max Verstappen heads into the new season looking to equal a record five drivers’ championships in a row in 2025, with the controversial Dutchman once again expected to mount a charge for the most coveted title in the sport.

But this year is different as the 27-year-old does not begin the season as favourite to win the championship, with McLaren’s Lando Norris instead the early fancy with betting sites at 13/8.

Norris came second to the Dutchman by 63 points in 2024, but the Briton is backed to win his maiden championship in 2025, with McLaren looking like the fastest team in preseason testing and the 25-year-old having perhaps gained the necessary experience in the upper echelons of F1, claiming four wins last term.

After dominating the first part of the season, Verstappen won only two of the final 14 races in 2024 as the chasing pack quickly closed the gap on Red Bull, and there are far more questions surrounding the team entering this season than there has been in recent years.

Interestingly, Verstappen has only won one Australian GP – in 2023 – while Norris’ best finish was a third-placed finish last season.

But the preseason performance of the McLaren seems enough to make them an early favourite, though the weather could have a say too, with the chance of rain perhaps making for surprises on the course.

So, if you want to avoid betting on an outright winner in the first race of the season, a double on the two title favourites to finish in the top two at Albert Park could provide value at 9/2.

Australian Grand Prix prediction 1: Lando Norris & Max Verstappen to finish top 2 – 9/2 Bet365

Australian GP tips: Home favourite to finish in top three

Some punters will fancy Oscar Piastri as a dark horse for the 2025 drivers’ title, with the 23-year-old playing a massive role for the McLaren team that won the Constructors’ title last season.

The Australian grabbed his first two Grand Prix wins in 2024 and heads into his home race as a 6/1 outsider in the F1 odds to win the race, and a 7/1 shot for the drivers’ championship.

But the home hopeful looked sharp in preseason testing and with his car potentially the best on the grid right now, he could spring a small surprise in his home city.

No home driver has ever finished on the podium in Melbourne since the inaugural edition in 1985, but Piastri will be rightfully optimistic about changing that this weekend.

The youngster is priced at 11/10 to finish on the podium at Albert Park, and with the uncertainties that come with the first race of the season, he could well steal a march on his nearest rivals.

Australian Grand Prix prediction 2: Oscar Piastri to finish on the podium - 11/10 William Hill

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