F1 2019, Australian GP: 5 Race Predictions

The first qualifying session of the 2019 Formula One season is done and dusted. It is Lewis Hamilton who will start the race from the front, but was there any doubt about it in the first place?

The Briton had one last chance, one last lap to stop his teammate Valtteri Bottas from starting Sunday's race in the best position.

And Hamilton absolutely nailed it!

Bottas was having a grand time out on the track, setting the circuit's fastest ever lap.

But whatever Bottas can do, Hamilton can do better and he recorded a whopping 1:20.486 lap; the fastest lap ever recorded in Melbourne.

Will Ferrari spoil the Mercedes' Aussie party come race day? How will Kubica fare on his return? Take a look at our five race predictions for Sunday's showdown...

#1 2019 looks ominous for Williams

F1 Grand Prix of Australia - Final Practice

The first qualifying session of a new Formula 1 season can reveal the true colours of the teams and Williams' script for 2019 looks shambolic.

This weekend is an exciting one for the loyal supporters of Robert Kubica who believed for years that he would once again race in F1.

All those years of hope and waiting have come to an end but for what? For a great racer like Kubica to drive around the back of the grid?

That's what this season looks to be for the Williams group.

Kubica and teammate George Russell will start the race on Sunday in 20th and 19th as the team have not improved the slightest from their uninspiring 2018 campaign.

Let's just hope their race pace is a lot better than the qualifying performance.

Maybe a bit of Kubica magic will help that.

#2 Grosjean should feel the pressure but it's a good start

After watching Netflix's Formula One: Drive to Survive ahead of the new season, it reminded me of how much pressure is on all of these drivers' shoulders to deliver for their teams.

One name in particular is Romain Grosjean who has had a lot of pressure over the years, especially back in his Lotus days alongside Kimi Raikkonen and Pastor Maldonado.

Let's not forget his one race ban after a collection of incidents throughout the 2012 championship, including the spectacular pile-up at the Belgium Grand Prix, involving Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

His teammate Kevin Magnussen is not the most liked driver on the circuit but he has proved that he can perform well.

The comparison between the two drivers will help the bosses at Haas decide on their drivers for next season.

Grosjean had a rough first half of the 2018 season, hardly picking up any points with a car capable of competing with the mid-table teams.

His history and reputation of crashes and mistakes will not help him convince Haas to keep him for another season if the Frenchman does not perform in 2019.

Grosjean needs to be careful at this moment in time but it's a fantastic start as he will start the race in 6th position ahead of Magnussen in 7th.

#3 Gasly to climb up the grid?

Well, Pierre Gasly's start at Red Bull could have been a little better after Saturday's qualifying.

In his first race weekend for Red Bull after leaving Toro Rosso to replace Daniel Ricciardo, the Frenchman failed to get out of Q1.

Yes you read that correctly, he stayed in Q1!

While Max Verstappen had a good drive on Saturday, finishing fourth fastest, the young Frenchman couldn't get out of traffic in time to record a fast enough lap to get into Q2.

Gasly will start the race in 17th position on Sunday but as we all know, Red Bull have a very good race pace.

We should expect Gasly to climb up the grid in the car he's in unless he somehow crashes out on the first corner.

Anything can happen on race day but Gasly shouldn't give up on this weekend just yet.

#4 Norris should aim for top 10

What a start to his Formula One career for young recruit Lando Norris who out-qualified a more experienced driver and teammate in Carlos Sainz Jnr by reaching Q3.

While Sainz struggled to get out of Q1, Norris had other plans and he will start the race in 8th position.

No one really knew what to expect from McLaren ahead of this weekend's opening Grand Prix, as the last few years will tell us.

A team that was once competing at the top are now seen as a mid-table team at best but the development of Norris could excite many McLaren fans.

It may be early days but Norris certainly is no pushover when he is out on the track. After all, you don't just become a driver in F1 without having the talent required.

#5 Ferrari to pip Mercedes in Melbourne?

F1 Winter Testing in Barcelona - Day Four

Saturday may have been Mercedes' day in Melbourne but what really matters is what happens on race day after all.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc missed out on the top two in qualifying and Vettel will start the race in third while Leclerc begins in 5th, just behind Max Verstappen.

Hamilton achieved his 6th straight pole in Melbourne but what the last two races at Albert Park will tell you is that Ferrari came out on top on Sunday, thanks to Mr Vettel's inspired displays.

Hamilton did reveal after qualifying that he was surprised to achieve another pole. But the prancing horses are right behind them and testing did tell us that they were the fastest team out of the pack.

Can Vettel or Leclerc change it around in Sunday's race? We will have to wait and see.

Edited by Rajdeep Puri