Red Bull are already threatening to pull away from the pack because of their fine performances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, so there’s a huge sense of urgency for Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes, among others, to bring out their A-game here in the Australian Grand Prix.
Ferrari are the nearest challengers to Red Bull as of this writing, but their chances to catch up depend on whether they will have their first-choice drivers at the paddock this weekend.
The Scuderia are hoping that Carlos Sainz is available after he was sidelined in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He is arguably their best chance to topple Red Bull since he was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a Formula 1 race last season.
As we look ahead to another exciting race from Down Under, continue reading below as SBOTOP rounds out the latest Australian Grand Prix 2024 updates.
Is Sainz 100-per cent fit?
Carlos Sainz didn’t race in Jeddah because he was diagnosed with appendicitis and underwent surgery two days before the actual race. Oliver Bearman took his seat as a last-minute replacement, and he proved his worth as he finished P7 despite starting the grid in 11th place.
Oliver Bearman deservedly won the fan-voted Driver of the Day award for his spectacular outing in Jeddah, which saw the 18-year-old overtake the likes of Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenburg and hold his ground against Lando Norris.
Bearman has put himself on the radar after his coming-out party, and if Sainz is out yet again this weekend, then he’ll get to race for Ferrari for the second consecutive race.
As of this writing, it is widely believed that Carlos Sainz will likely return to the cockpit, although he has not yet hit the track.
“I feel ready. I’ve done as much as possible to recover, and you cannot imagine the effort and logistics that I have done to be fit for this race,” said Sainz. “I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made, and now, as I said, it’s time to jump in the car and see how I feel.”
“But obviously, I’m not stupid. If I don’t feel good, I will be the first one to raise my hand and say that I need another two weeks until the next race,” he added.
Sainz is not the first driver in recent times to race shortly after a bout with appendicitis, as Alex Albon did the same back in 2022. Albon, at the time, needed three weeks to get back to full strength.
Piastri and Ricciardo ready to put on a show
Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo are going to be two of the most popular figures in Melbourne this week because they will be racing in front of their home fans on Sunday, although both come into this event in contrasting forms.
Piastri had an assured drive last time out that got him a P4 finish, which was McLaren’s best-ever outing in Jeddah. But more importantly, Piastri’s recent performance highlighted how far the Papayas have come since they were without a point at this juncture last season.
In contrast, Daniel Ricciardo was unable to get points for the second race in a row. He finished P16 after yet another lackluster performance and was outpaced by his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
When he returned to Formula 1 last year, Ricciardo was a hot candidate rumoured to be Sergio Perez’s potential replacement, but that seems like a long time ago now.
History
Max Verstappen won the 2023 Australian Grand Prix after not being able to do so in the previous editions. And because he is the reigning winner in Melbourne, the Australian Grand Prix 2024 odds are overwhelmingly in his favour ahead of Sunday.
Last year was one of the most chaotic races in recent memory, as Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Nyck de Vries, Logan Sargeant, Kevin Magnussen, George Russell, Alex Albon, and Charles Leclerc were unable to finish the race, leading to a trio of red flags.
Charles Leclerc was knocked out in the opening lap after colliding with Lance Stroll, while Alpine teammates Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon crashed into one another in the final lap. Meanwhile, George Russell suffered an engine failure after an early pit stop, just to name some of the casualties in the race.
Before Verstappen won last year, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were the previous winners in Melbourne, with the former winning it in 2022 and the latter winning it from 2017 to 2019 during the pre-pandemic.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FORMULA 1 STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
