By Joe Murphy
The third race if this 2024 campaign is already upon us and it still remains to be seen as to who can end Max Verstappen’s run of dominance that spands the last half century races or so. Perez is two for two in terms of podiums and Mercedes you feel have more pace to unlock. Moreover, can Ferrari make a statement or can Alonso get close? And what of McLaren? Let’s ponder…
Max wins LOL
Realistically, you can’t really Predicts anything else at the moment. Whilst it is indeed true that anything can happen in the world of Formula 1, you can’t look beyond the Dutchman at the moment. A track he likes should go for an easy win and, with Red Bull being so far clear do their rivals, Checo should join him on the podium. But who will take that coveted third spot?
Lando Podium on the cards…
We’ll it’s between him and Charles Leclerc. Lando doesn’t have that home race pressure hanging over him like his teammate will. And there were signs last time out that McLaren had something that could content for third at the very least. Back Lando to take third this weekend, just ahead of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. The Monaco man had a boring race in Saudi Arabia after struggling immensely in Bahrain the week prior. As we get back to good old fashioned Sunday racing, Charles in fourth sounds about right.
Alpine misery to continue…
It would come to nobody’s surprise that Alpine should be in for another pointless weekend. Pierre Gasly and Estaban Ocon will try all they can, but won’t have the tools powerful enough to score in the top ten. In fact, it’s practically a dead cert that neither get into Q2 even. Bottas, Zhou, Ocon, Gasly and Sergeant will be mixing it up with Haas to try and avoid the wooden spoon in Australia.
Happy homecoming for Danny?
It’s been a disappointing start to the season for Daniel Ricciardo. The car may not be up to the required levels but then, by his own admission, neither has the driver himself. As he returns home to a Grand Prix he missed last year, it’s the perfect time to put it right. I think a point is possible. If the Honey Badger and Yuki can work together and get on the same page, then they could drag each other to challenge for tenth, that’s for sure.
An interesting race… (for a change).
I hate to say it but Formula 1 has been stake for a little while now. Hamilton’s impending move to Ferrari may have added some spice and Christian Horner has grabbed mainstream media attention for all the wrong reasons but ultimately, on track action has been lacking. Australia has a chance to put this right. Track changes to encourage overtaking could mean we are in store for a superb race. Turn one is infamously renowned for crashes and whilst we never wish to see a drivers race end, it could certainly mix up the order which this sport badly needs at the moment. The occurance of a Safety Car could make this event much more interesting.
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