F1 has returned. Who are you placing your bets on?

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      At last! Formula 1 has returned, and as much as I dislike agreeing with the racing analysts who often exaggerate their statements, this season might be one of the most competitive in the sport's history. This could lead to an incredibly thrilling season, hopefully for the right reasons, unlike what we witnessed in 2021.

      Red Bull and Max Verstappen are expected to be formidable from the start, even though they haven't shown impressive lap times at Melbourne Park during the first two practice sessions. It's less certain how Liam Lawson will perform in his debut race for the team, having struggled in 16th and 17th positions so far.

      Whether it's Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari will pose a challenge throughout the weekend—there's not much more to elaborate on that. The established Monegasque driver is familiar with the car and the team, having consistently placed in the top three in both practice sessions, and he’s likely to continue that trend in Practice 3. It will all come down to how well everything comes together for qualifying. On the other hand, Hamilton faces a steeper learning curve and will certainly want to avoid overexerting himself too soon, which might lead to a mistake. If only someone had advised Oliver Bearman, he probably wouldn’t have damaged his Haas during his first outing of the year.

      Then there's the current constructors’ champion, McLaren. All attention is on the papaya team to perform this weekend. Lando Norris topped the leaderboard in Practice 1 and finished third in Practice 2. His teammate Oscar Piastri, enjoying his home race, recorded the fourth- and second-fastest times thus far. If I were a betting person, I would wager on one of these two to win the race on Sunday.

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      The remainder of the field is too mixed at this stage to accurately determine the best of the rest. There’s been considerable buzz regarding Carlos Sainz and his Williams, as the Spaniard clocked in some strong laps early in the weekend. The same is true for Yuki Tsunoda of Racing Bulls and his rookie teammate Isack Hadjar. Everyone's favorite troublemaker, Lance Stroll, managed to secure a top-10 finish in both sessions, while Fernando Alonso finished eighth and 13th, respectively. Mercedes finds itself in a similar situation, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli not yet standing out.

      We will gain a clearer understanding of the rankings after qualifying, scheduled for tonight (technically Saturday morning) at 1 a.m. Eastern. Even then, we can expect significant chaos during the race start on Sunday, given that Turn 1 at Albert Park often results in dramatic multi-car collisions. If that doesn’t take out a few drivers, typical early-season reliability issues could create headaches for teams—especially those already vying for crucial championship points. Let's not forget what happened to Verstappen last year.

      If you had to pick the 2025 constructors’ and drivers’ champions today, who would you choose?

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