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The 2024 F1 Australian GP will feature Max Verstappen on pole position, with Carlos Sainz alongside him. Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez ended the qualifying session in P3, but the Mexican was penalized for impeding Hulkenberg and was handed a three-place grid penalty.
As a result, Lando Norris will be in P3 and will have Charles Leclerc for company in P4 for Ferrari. Once again this year, Red Bull has had the edge over the rest of the field. Could we see something similar happen this weekend as well or will we see Ferrari mounting a challenge? Let's take a look as we share our predictions for the 2024 F1 Australian GP.
#1 Max Verstappen wins the F1 Australian GP
We are picking Max Verstappen to win the F1 Australian GP, not only because the Red Bull is miles ahead of everyone else, but also because the driver-team combination is working on the highest level.
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This was evident in qualifying as well, where Max Verstappen got the jump on both Ferrari drivers and faced stiff competition from both of them. The race is going to be interesting, and it is not going to be easy for Red Bull, but we expect Verstappen to prevail and win the 2024 F1 Australian GP.
#2 Ferrari is a dark horse for the win
If Charles Leclerc gets a good start off the line and jumps Lando Norris, we are looking at a scenario where we have two Ferraris chasing down a Red Bull, and that too in a race where the Italian team has a strong car.
With astute strategic maneuvers, Ferrari can box Max Verstappen into covering for one driver while the other mirrors his strategy. Heading into the F1 Australian GP on Sunday, Ferrari is a dark horse for sure, if the team plays its cards right.
#3 Lance Stroll doesn't score points
Lance Stroll is starting the race ahead of his teammate Fernando Alonso, and he has spent the weekend being a tad quicker than him at crucial points. Will that continue into the race? Of course it can, but admitting that would mean giving credence to the thought that Fernando Alonso won't adapt and find a way to get ahead.
The F1 Australian GP is going to be tactical in many ways, with the tires expected to deliver a two-stopper race. With that being the case, we expect Alonso to thrive while Stroll struggles to finish in points.
#4 Alex Albon scores points
This one is certainly possible, as Alex Albon didn't have the best of laps in qualifying. The Williams drives well around Albert Park, and Albon has felt strong on this track as well. All Albon needs to do is concentrate all the energy on getting the best possible result for Williams.
The driver tends to have strong race management and that will matter a lot on Sunday. If he does, he will end up scoring points.
#5 Mercedes won't make much progress in the race
Mercedes is arguably the fifth fastest car, with one of the two drivers not even making it to Q3. Lewis Hamilton will start the race outside of points, and expect him to attempt an alternative strategy to gamble a bit in the race. Overall, though, a podium or a strong result does not look like a possibility at the F1 Australian GP. Mercedes has a lot of work to do at the moment.
