Once again the Australian Grand Prix
will get pulses racing as the opener to the 2013 F1 season. This
year’s spectacle in Melbourne at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
will hear the screeching of tyres off the starting grid on Sunday,
March 17th. New driving lineups, new cars and modified cars will all
be jostling for early season supremacy with the chance to send a big
message of intent to title rivals. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel will
head into the 2013 F1 season looking for his fourth Drivers
Championship title in a row, while his team, the innovate Red Bull
will be looking to continue their dominance in the Constructors’
title race this term. This will be the 78th edition of the Australian
Grand Prix, which will be raced over 58 laps in the Melbourne heat.
McLaren’s Jenson Button took the chequered flag last season, his
third title there in the last four seasons.
That should make Button some decent
value for the 2013 Australian Grand Prix as he is comfortable at the
track and the McLaren has been very well suited to the conditions
there. McLaren have taken three of the last five titles there in
Melbourne. So the likelihood is now as primary driver with the team,
following the departure of Lewis Hamilton, that former world champion
Button will have a good run in the opening Grand Prix of the season.
History would suggest that that would be the case. While McLaren
weren't that happy with the car during pre-season testing, still
learning about all the new developments and changes they have made to
last year’s car, that they themselves admitted that they were a bit
of unknown quantity. But still, you can’t really ignore the history
that Button has at the circuit. At the very least, Button should be
worth backing for a podium finish.
All drivers though will fall behind the
threat of Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull. They have been really
innovative with their brand new car for the season and he has been
successful at the circuit before, taking a win in the 2011 season.
Red Bull were relatively slow starters last season, but then adapted
the best during the season to fire Vettel towards his third F1
Drivers Championship in a row. Vettel took second in last season’s
race, splitting the two McLaren drivers, so you would expect him to
be back around in the hunt for a win. Vettel has taken two of the
last three pole positions at the Australian Grands Prix and is well
worth backing to take another one. He is the qualifying king and is
unlikely to be far away from pole in March for the 2013 F1 season
opener.
Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen may offer
some of the best value of 2013 F1 Australian Grand Prix betting.
There is a very strong positive feel about the ability of his Lotus
heading into the new season, after impressing many last term.
Raikkonen is also a previous winner of the Australian Open, winning
when he was driving for Ferrari back in 2007. If he can build on the
third place finish in the Drivers Championship last season that he
achieved on his return to the sport, he could have a big say in the
title race this season. The Lotus team looked good and full of
promise through pre-season testing and could have the pace to push
for the chequered flag. But behind Vettel and Button, Ferrari’s
Fernando Alonso, who lost out on last year’s Drivers Championship
in the final race of the season, will be attracting a lot of betting.
Alonso won back in the 2006 season, but hasn’t been inside the top
three in the last three editions of the Australian Grand Prix.
Ferrari are hoping to make a stronger start than they did last term.
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