F1 Australian Grand Prix 2017 Betting Preview & Odds – 26th March, 2017

Hamilton to get season off to a winning start

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton © GEPA pictures

After much speculation that it could be Ferrari and Red Bull dominating the new F1 season, Lewis Hamilton quieted everyone on Friday by putting in dominating performance in Melbourne practice ahead of the Australian Grand Prix 2017. Even the driver himself was surprised by the speed of the Mercedes, which was over half a second quicker than the rest of the field on Friday. So out of the blocks, Mercedes are potentially back on top of their game and that has seen Lewis Hamilton cut to 1/2 at 888Sport to win the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. It is a race at which he has triumphed twice before.

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2017 Betting Promotion

Online betting site 888Sport are running a big offer for new customers. Register a new account with the bookmaker and then take enhanced odds of 7/1 on Lewis Hamilton, and Valtteri Bottas at 25/1 or Max Verstappen at 33/1 to win the Australian Grand Prix. So just register (as it is a new customer exclusive) then pick your enhanced offer, which as a maximum 10 stake on it. If your bet wins you get paid out in cash at the regular odds and additional winnings will be credited as free bet tokens. The 888Sport enhanced odds promotion is valid until Sunday 26th March 2017 05:59:59 BST.

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2017 Betting Preview

This is a season of change in Formula One because of the new car regulations, which basically means that they are bigger, providing more downforce which in turn leads to more speed. The drives are going to be more physically demanding than before as well and because of the new width of the cars, drivers have been reporting that it going to be a bit harder to overtake this season. So if Hamilton can dominate and get himself to pole then there could be no stopping him in Melbourne.

Hamilton started in pole last season but was beaten to the chequered flag by teammate Nico Rosberg, who retired from the sport at the end of last season as World Champion. Hamilton’s new teammate at Mercedes is Valtteri Bottas who goes as 13/2 third favourite at 888Sport to win in Melbourne, with former World Champion Sebastian Vettel at 11/2. Vettel in his Ferrari was second quickest on Friday in practice, just 0.009 seconds quicker than Bottas was. There has been much hype about the Ferrari challenge this season after impressing during the pre-season.

Hamilton’s first win at the Australian Grand Prix came in 2008 and he had a long wait for his second at Albert Park, taking his second win there in 2015. Vettel has one Australian Open victory which came back in 2011 in a drive for Red Bull. The concern about the Ferrari challenge is that it isn’t the first time that they have gone well in pre-season testing but then have fallen well short when it has come to the start of the season. They have flattered to deceive a lot in recent years. So this will be an important race for them to show what they have going for them.

It is perhaps Bottas which is the great unknown going into this one. The Finnish driver cost Mercedes a lot of money to pull over from McLaren as a replacement for Rosberg. There are so many questions about his drive this season. Will he be able to realistically challenge the speed that everyone knows Hamilton can get out of his drives? Will he just be another rock solid, consistent performer in the mold of the department Rosberg? Will he just be playing second fiddle in helping elevate Hamilton to stitle success again?

The Red Bull team have 19 year old Max Verstappen who has thrilled already in the sport. The youngster took that epic win in Spain on his debut F1 season last term and his battle with teammate Daniel Ricciardo is going to be a lot of fun to watch. While the hype is all with youngster Verstappen, and no driver has been as highly hyped since Hamilton arrived on the scene, it is Ricciardo who proved to be the more stable, the more consistent of the two drivers last year and he out-scored his teammate easily last season.

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2017 Betting Odds

Lewis Hamilton 1/2, Sebastian Vettel 11/2, Valtteri Bottas 13/2, Kimi Räikkönen 1 11/1, Daniel Ricciardo 14/1, Max Verstappen 14/1, bar 150/1

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2017 Pole Position Betting Odds

Lewis Hamilton 2/7, Sebastian Vettel 7/1, Valtteri Bottas 7/1, Kimi Räikkönen 12/1, Daniel Ricciardo 14/1, Max Verstappen 14/1, bar 150/1

F1 Drivers Championship 2017 Betting

Lewis Hamilton 4/6, Sebastian Vettel 5/1, Valtteri Bottas 9/2, Max Verstappen 10/1, Daniel Ricciardo 12/1, Kimi Raikkonen 12/1, 200/1 bar

F1 Constructors Championship 2017 Betting

Mercedes 2/7, Ferrari 7/2, Red Bull 6/1, Williams 200/1, bar 500/1

F1 Australian Grand Prix 2017 Betting Predictions:

It is going to be a thrilling start of the new season, with recent lap times being crushed out of sight. You are looking for physical endurance of course and there isn’t anyone in the field who is going to top Hamilton in that, nor on the ability to push things to the edge. He is value to get the opening win of the season under his belt, and Vettel’s challenge in the Ferrari is going to be massively interesting. The German is well worth backing to get on the podium and we will shoot for Ricciardi in his Red Bull to get close to a top three as well. If you are pitting him against Bottas and Verstappen, Ricciardi’s calmness and control could win out.