BETTING GUIDE: Who are the favourites for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix?

After a busy winter break, it’s time to get the 2025 F1 season underway this weekend as the paddock heads to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix, marking the first stop on a 24-race calendar.

Will Max Verstappen get his title defence off to a strong start at Albert Park? Can McLaren continue their strong run of form following their Teams’ Championship victory in 2024? Let’s see what the odds tell us…

Odds are provided by F1's Official Betting Data Supplier ALT Sports Data and are presented in decimal form: for every $1 wagered you would win the figure represented by the odds; so, if Verstappen is favourite at 1.50, you would win $1.50 for every dollar bet.

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The odds for the win

Lando Norris ended the 2024 season with a win in Abu Dhabi – his fourth of the season – and the Briton is again the favourite to stand on the top spot of the podium this weekend. Having proven himself to be Verstappen’s closest rival for the title last year, Norris will be looking to go one better and seal his debut championship in 2025.

The driver tipped as second most likely to triumph in Melbourne is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Verstappen not far behind in the odds. The Dutchman will be hoping for better luck in the race this year after retiring from the 2024 event due to a brake issue despite having started on pole.

The odds for a podium finish

Norris again has the best odds for securing a podium result at the season-opener, with Verstappen and Leclerc – who scored 13 podiums last season including second at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix – seen as equally likely to take a top-three finish.

Just behind them are Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton, who are both in for special weekends; the former as he participates in his home race – just days after signing a new contract at McLaren – while Hamilton is about to embark on his debut Grand Prix as a Ferrari driver.

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The odds for a top-six finish

As well as the drivers previously mentioned, some other names are in the running for a top-six finish at Albert Park. Amongst them is George Russell, who will be looking to start his first season as Mercedes’ de-facto team leader in the best fashion.

Still in with a shot but on slightly lower odds than Russell is the Briton’s Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli, the Italian being one of a batch of rookies preparing to make their debut this weekend.

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The odds for a top-10 finish

In terms of who else could score points in Australia with a top-10 finish, Liam Lawson is also in the mix in what will be his first race as a Red Bull driver, the New Zealander having impressed during previous super-sub stints for the Racing Bulls outfit which included three top-10 finishes.

Fernando Alonso is another name touted as a possibility. The Aston Martin driver previously won the event back in 2006, the second year in which he won the World Championship whilst racing for Renault, and had 14 top-10 finishes in 2024.

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Head-to-head odds of interest

Taking a closer look at some of the battles that might unfold during the weekend, Norris is tipped to beat Leclerc in a potential scrap between the respective McLaren and Ferrari drivers, while Verstappen has better odds than former title rival Hamilton.

Piastri is the favourite in a head-to-head with Russell, and in further bad news for the Mercedes squad, the odds suggest that Lawson will get the better of Antonelli as the pair each make their debuts for their new teams.

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The odds for the winning team

Perhaps unsurprisingly – given their victory in last year’s Teams’ Championship – McLaren are deemed the most likely squad to take a win in Australia, with Ferrari just behind them, despite the Scuderia's 1-2 finish at Albert Park last year.

Red Bull are ranked as the third favourites – followed by Mercedes – while the rest of the pack share more distant odds.

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The odds for who will be fastest in qualifying

Verstappen lined up in pole position for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix and the reigning World Champion again has decent odds for repeating the feat – but it is Norris who is tipped as most likely to take the spoils in qualifying.

The pair ended last season on equal terms when it came to success on Saturdays, with both drivers having claimed eight pole positions across the season.

Leclerc could also be in with a shout, with the Ferrari man an excellent qualifier while he also took the fastest lap in last year's race.

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The odds for best finish outside the top four teams

Williams caught the eye of many during pre-season testing in Bahrain ahead of an exciting season for the squad, with Carlos Sainz arriving from Ferrari to partner up with Alex Albon.

And if the top four teams of McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes are excluded from the discussion, Sainz – a proven race winner – is the favourite to score the strongest result amongst the remaining contenders on Sunday.

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