All Change at Albert Park but Ferrari Fancied on Downforce Grounds
There have been 756 days since Formula 1 was last in Australia – for the 2020 event that was cancelled before Friday practice due to Covid-19 – and it is 1,118 days since the last race was staged at Melbourne’s Albert Park.
Albert Park’s Formula 1 circuit has undergone significant changes ahead of this weekend’s race. ©MercedesF1
This year, moving to the third race on the calendar from its usual spot as the season opener, drivers and teams will be struck by the changes made to the circuit. 24-metres shorter than before, turns one, three, six, 11, and 13 have been widened to open up the apex and provide more space for overtaking.
Leclerc’s Laps Don’t Lie
The biggest modification is the removal of the chicane at what was turns nine and 10. It is now a fast, flat-out flick that leads onto the high-speed left-right sequence. The pit lane length in Australia is one of the shortest in Formula 1, measuring just 281-metres. It is no longer, but it has been widened to provide more space.
Despite all these changes, Albert Park remains a circuit where cars need to be configured with a medium-high downforce setting. On the evidence of the curtain-raising Bahrain Grand Prix, this category of track should suit Ferrari more than its chief rival, Red Bull.
Unibet Sportsbook offers an industry top-price of 7/4 about Charles Leclerc claiming Sunday’s race. As the Ferrari pilot has led 85 of the 107 competitive laps raced in 2022, it is a standout bet.
Verstappen is slightly shorter in the betting at 6/4. Leclerc’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, is 8/1. The Red Bull number two driver, Sergio Perez can be backed at 14/1 ahead of the first practice session.
Lewis Is Big but Short for a Top-Six Finish
At 2/1 Esteban Ocon looks a great bet to claim his second top-six finish of the season. ©GettyImages
The best Formula 1 betting sites have Lewis Hamilton priced at a remarkable 16/1 in the race-winner market. The Brit sits fifth in the World Drivers’ Championship standings with 16 points. Only once in his 15-year Formula 1 career has he gathered fewer points after two races.
The seven-time World Champion is 2/7 to claim a top-six finish on Sunday. It is a very short price considering his third-placed effort in Bahrain came with a lot of good fortune. But there is a nice bet to be found in this top-six market.
Esteban Ocon took seventh, just three seconds adrift of Valterri Bottas in the Bahrain Grand Prix. It was a good effort considering he was given a five-second time penalty during the race. The Frenchman qualified fifth and finished sixth on his latest outing in Saudi Arabia.
Ocon to Muster Another Top-Six Finish?
Can he repeat the trick at the weekend? “For sure it has been a very positive start for me,” the driver said on Wednesday. “The more I drive the new car, the more I understand it and I think as a team we are moving in the right direction.”
Not oozing confidence but displaying optimism, the 25-year-old added: “We are showing we are competitive early on and that’s a good sign for everyone. It’s a testament to the hard work from all the men and women at the factories over the winter and I hope we can keep going and improving.”
Ocon’s sentiments lead us to believe the 2/1 offered by the best motorsport betting sites about a second top-six finish represents a great bet.
