Australian Grand Prix 2025: What to expect and who to look out for
The anticipation of a new Formula 1 season is unparalleled, particularly as it commences in Melbourne with the prestigious Australian Grand Prix, a race that has been a staple in the F1 calendar since 1928.
The 2025 Australian Grand Prix, featuring new vehicles with advanced technologies and emerging talents with promising potential, is poised to be a must-watch event. Continue reading for a comprehensive overview regarding the season opener in March.
What can you anticipate from the Australian GP Season Opener?
Following multiple seasons commencing in Bahrain, Albert Park resumes its position as the season opener for the first time since 2019.
The 2025 iteration of the Melbourne Grand Prix holds significant potential. Significantly, this is the inaugural race featuring the illustrious Lewis Hamilton, adorned in red overalls, competing for Ferrari in what could be one of his final seasons in Formula 1. Additionally, six newbies are poised to debut, including Liam Lawson substituting for Sergio Perez at Red Bull, Jack Doohan representing Alpine from Australia, and 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli for Mercedes.
As Red Bull’s supremacy diminishes and McLaren’s revival emerges in 2024, the competition is more unpredictable than ever, promising a challenging race to forecast and an exhilarating opening to the season.
Can Australia witness a home-turf victory?
The crucial inquiry is whether we will witness an Australian triumph. Remarkably, since the Australian Grand Prix became part of the World Championship in 1985, no Australian driver has ever achieved a podium result.
As the race approaches Melbourne this year, two local champions will want to alter that specific record.
Oscar Piastri is the most significant hope. The Melbourne native, born near Albert Park, had an exceptional 2024, concluding the season in fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship standings. This comprised eight podium places, including two triumphs in Azerbaijan and Hungary. His effort unequivocally contributed to McLaren securing the Constructors’ Championship and was instrumental in rendering the 2024 F1 season exceptionally fascinating.
In another context, rookie Jack Doohan will be competing for Alpine. Jack, the progeny of five-time Grand Prix motorbike World Champion Mick Doohan, was born and reared in Gold Coast, Queensland. Although it is a considerable request, the scenes would be magnificent if he ascended the podium in Australia during his inaugural F1 Grand Prix.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen lead the Australian GP betting markets
If we’re taking the oddsmakers from top betting apps here and their opinion into consideration, predictions on the winner of the Australian Grand Prix point towards Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, who both sit atop the current winners’ betting market.
However, those looking elsewhere will be happy to see the value and plus-money on the rest of the field. Here’s a list of the top-8 drivers in the Australian GP winners odds market:
● Lando Norris @ +285
● Max Verstappen @ +285
● Charles Leclerc @ +300
● Lewis Hamilton @ +350
● Oscar Piastri @ +850
● George Russell @ +1400
● Liam Lawson @ +2000
● Kimi Antonelli @ +3500
Keep an eye on Verstappen’s new teammate, Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson, though hardly a novice on the F1 grid with 11 races completed in the past two seasons, will commence his full-season debut in 2025. He will receive greater attention than most other rookies as Max Verstappen’s teammate.
Red Bull opted to release fan-favorite Sergio Pérez at the conclusion of the previous season. He elevated Lawson to his position over other esteemed drivers such as Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo, indicating that Lawson will likely encounter intensified scrutiny from the outset. Nevertheless, with some remarkable achievements previously achieved, the New Zealander has demonstrated his ability to surmount hardship.
What can we expect from the Albert Park GP circuit?
The Australian Grand Prix has been hosted at various locations since its inception, including its current venue, Albert Park in Melbourne, and Phillip Island (Victoria), the Adelaide Street Circuit, previously.
The Australian Grand Prix will remain in Melbourne until at least 2035, having successfully resisted a significant proposal from Sydney.
The Melbourne F1 track in Albert Park is fast, fun, and gorgeous. It measures just over 5 kilometers and comprises 14 turns, decreasing from 16 ahead of the 2021 edition. Throughout most of the year, Albert Park functions as a thoroughfare encircled by beautiful parkland; the construction of the track requires six weeks and 290,000 man-hours.
When will the 2025 Australian GP take place?
Thankfully, there isn’t much time left until the season’s first event, the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, which will take place at Albert Park on Sunday, March 16.
Below is a detailed schedule for the weekend:
● Friday, 14 March: Practise Sessions 1 and 2
● Saturday, 15 March: Third Practice Session and Qualifying
● Sunday, March 16: Official Race