Australian Grand Prix pole good news for Hamilton victory
Published:Pole position has been an especially useful asset at the Australian Grand Prix in recent years and so 1/1 looks a worthy price in the Formula One odds that the McLaren driver opens the season with a victory in Melbourne.
The first race of the season always presents a tough conundrum for punters as it is hard to conclude which is the quickest car based on limited practice knowledge and one spell of qualifying.
However, McLaren have been topping the timesheets in all of the latest sessions as Jenson Button posted the quickest time during practice in Melbourne.
Therefore, barring accidents, there is a strong chance they will kick off the season with a win, although it is Hamilton who will start from the front of the grid after going marginally faster than his teammate to gain the 20th pole on his career.
The driver starting from pole has won the Australian Grand Prix in seven of the last ten years and four of the last five, with the only anomaly coming in 2010 when Button triumphed in very wet conditions.
There is unlikely to be rain this time, which could be bad news for Button, while the driver to start from second on the grid has not won the Australian Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in 2002.
But Button does obviously have a liking for the Albert Park circuit after winning two of the its last three Grand Prix and can be backed to triumph again at 5/2.
Mercedes have enjoyed a profitable pre-season and Schumacher will be confident of a strong result from starting from fourth on the grid.
He is 10/1 to win a first race since the Chinese Grand Prix in 2006 and a victory would be a record-breaking feat, as he would become the first driver to win the Australian Grand Prix on five occasions.
Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel was not too disappointed with sixth after admitting a mistake in qualifying will have cost him a few spots on the grid.
Vettel believes his Red Bull is not too far adrift of the pacesetters in terms of speed and he may tempt some at 9/1 to win the Australian Grand Prix.
