🏎️ Australian Grand Prix Odds, Expert Picks 2026: 3 Best Bets for F1 Season Opener Today
With parity at the forefront of the most significant changes, we'll see whether the adjustments had their desired effect at the Australian Grand Prix, F1's curtain-raiser on the 2026 season.
Saturday's race (11 p.m. ET, ESPN) takes place at Albert Park in Melbourne, and I'm backing pre-season betting favorite George Russell, who should finally get to drive the car he's desired, in my Australian Grand Prix expert picks. He took the pole position, and his teammate Kimi Antonelli will be alongside him on the front row.
📊 Australian Grand Prix odds 2026
Latest Australian Grand Prix odds to win Sunday's race via BetMGM.
| Driver | Odds | Implied Probability | Profit on $10 Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Russell | -303 | 75.19% | $3.30 |
| Kimi Antonelli | +600 | 14.29% | $60 |
| Charles Leclerc | +1000 | 9.09% | $100 |
| Isack Hadjar | +1600 | 5.88% | $160 |
| Oscar Piastri | +2000 | 4.76% | $200 |
| Lando Norris | +3300 | 2.94% | $330 |
| Lewis Hamilton | +3300 | 2.94% | $330 |
| Max Verstappen | +5000 | 1.96% | $500 |
| Liam Lawson | +10000 | 0.99% | $1,000 |
| Arvid Lindblad | +10000 | 0.99% | $1,000 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | +15000 | 0.66% | $1,500 |
| Oliver Bearman | +25000 | 0.40% | $2,500 |
| Esteban Ocon | +25000 | 0.40% | $2,500 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | +25000 | 0.40% | $2,500 |
| Pierre Gasly | +50000 | 0.20% | $5,000 |
| Alex Albon | +75000 | 0.13% | $7,500 |
| Franco Colapinto | +100000 | 0.10% | $10,000 |
| Fernando Alonso | +200000 | 0.05% | $20,000 |
| Carlos Sainz | +200000 | 0.05% | $20,000 |
| Sergio Perez | +250000 | 0.04% | $25,000 |
| Lance STroll | +300000 | 0.03% | $30,000 |
| Valtteri Bottas | +300000 | 0.03% | $30,000 |
🔢 Australian Grand Prix starting grid
Here's the starting grid for the Australian Grand Prix, with Mercedes sitting on the front row, and Red Bull newcomer Isack Hadjar not far behind. However, his teammate and four-time champion Max Verstappen will need to come from behind, as he crashed during qualifying and will start 20th.
| Driver | Starting position |
|---|---|
| George Russell | 1 |
| Kimi Antonelli | 2 |
| Isack Hadjar | 3 |
| Charles Leclerc | 4 |
| Oscar Piastri | 5 |
| Lando Norris | 6 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 7 |
| Liam Lawson | 8 |
| Arvid Lindblad | 9 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | 10 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | 11 |
| Oliver Bearman | 12 |
| Esteban Ocon | 13 |
| Pierre Gasly | 14 |
| Alexander Albon | 15 |
| Franco Colapinto | 16 |
| Fernando Alonso | 17 |
| Sergio Perez | 18 |
| Valtteri Bottas | 19 |
| Max Verstappen | 20 |
🔢 Australian Grand Prix odds movement
- Russell's odds moved from +225 to -303
- Max Verstappen's odds lengthened from +333 to +5000
🇦🇺 Australian Grand Prix quick picks summary
All picks made before practice and qualifying.
Not only do the Australian Grand Prix odds favor Russell, but I do, too: He's my pick to win Saturday's Aussie GP.
- Race winner: George Russell, Mercedes (+200)
- Podium finish: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (+100)
- Long-shot pick: Oscar Piastri, McLaren (+1400)
🪖 Will war in Iran impact Australian Grand Prix?
While travel schedules will be impacted, the Australian Grand Prix will not. No alterations, cancellations, or schedule adjustments are expected for the F1 season opener at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia.
💰 Australian Grand Prix predictions, best bets
| Bet | Odds | Units | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| To win race: George Russell, Mercedes | +200 via BetMGM | 0.5u -> 1u | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Top 3 finish: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari | +100 via BetMGM | .25u -> .25u | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Long shot pick: Oscar Piastri | +1400 via BetMGM | .1u -> 1.4u | ⭐⭐ |
Total wagered: 0.85 units | Max profit: 2.65 units
🏆 Pick to win Australian Grand Prix: George Russell
Russell finished third in last season's opener in Melbourne. But it's not last year's solid performance that has me backing the Brit to win. Mercedes is expected to have the superior car on the grid, at least early in the season.
The team's technical enhancements to the floor and to the rear wing should provide a leg up on competitors, with Mercedes not showing the extent of its superiority during Bahrain's six-day testing period.
They didn't want to show all their cards, a sign that Russell and Mercedes have something pleasantly surprising in store Down Under.
🥉 Top 3 finish at Australian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc
Ferrari is in a similar boat to Mercedes, but for different reasons. Scuderia should have a decisive advantage out of the starting gate after mastering the newly introduced, complex procedure for getting cars off the line.
In addition, Leclerc set the fastest time in both of Bahrain's three-day test sessions. The new SF-26 is also being highly touted for its innovative rear wing trick, which might be in play Down Under.
With all of the mentioned upgrades, I'm expecting a substantially superior performance from his eighth-place finish in last season's Australian GP.
🎯 Best long shot Australian Grand Prix pick: Oscar Piastri
Piastri made a critical error in last season's Australian GP that prevented him from winning on home soil. If he races error-free, the Aussie is in with a chance of taking the checkered flag.
However, McLaren might be behind the 8-ball coming out of the gate this season. And Piastri sputtered across the finish line last season, losing his sizable advantage over teammate and eventual champion Lando Norris.
🤔 Australian Grand Prix betting tips: Why is Mercedes the betting favorite?
A lot, and I do mean a lot, has changed for the 2026 F1 season. I can't stress enough the importance of learning as much as possible from opening weekend in Melbourne.
First, the starting procedure has changed, and it's throwing teams for a loop. Ferrari is the only team that has seemingly mastered the new procedure.
In fact, the decision-makers might have to alter the current set-up because of safety concerns. That would aggravate a Ferrari team that has worked hard to gain an advantage.
Why is Mercedes the betting favorite Down Under?
Like McLaren last season, it appears Mercedes has the superior car entering the season. It was reluctant at the Bahrain testing to show how much of an advantage, deciding not to complete a full race pace simulation.
That tipped off other teams, and it has the F1 world expecting big things from last season's second-place finishers. Some of Mercedes' enhancements include:
- Notable engine upgrades
- Series of technical updates, most notably to the floor and rear wing
💡 How I'm betting Australian Grand Prix
I'm approaching the first race of the season cautiously. There are way too many unknowns to be confident in any bet, even those with the highest probability.
That's why I'm risking only 0.85 units on the Australian Grand Prix, 0.5 of which are on my winner pick, Russell. Long shots performed poorly last season, which is why I'm only designating .1 units to Piastri.
Ferrari performed well during testing in Bahrain, but I need to see more from them before investing further. One unit is worth $10.
💡 How to bet on F1
Our Sean Tomlinson digs into how to bet on the F1 in 2026, providing insight you won't want to miss.
🏆 Past Australian Grand Prix winners
| Year | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes |
| 2024 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari |
| 2023 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT |
| 2022 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2019 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes |
| 2018 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
| 2017 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
| 2016 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
| 2015 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
🗓️ 2026 Australian Grand Prix schedule
- Practice 1: Thursday, March 5 (8:30 p.m. ET)
- Practice 2: Friday, March 6 (midnight ET)
- Practice 3: Friday, March 6 (8:30 p.m. ET)
- Qualifying: Saturday, March 7 (midnight ET)
- Race: Saturday, March 7 (11 p.m. ET)
📺 How to watch 2026 Australian Grand Prix
- Date: Saturday, March 7
- Time: 11 p.m. ET
- Location: Albert Park (Melbourne, Australia)
- How to watch: ESPN
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