The signature whine of high-powered engines and the adrenaline rush of prestige racing return this week as we head to the land down under for the start of a new Formula 1 season. The 2026 Australian Grand Prix kicks off the campaign at Albert Park in Melbourne, with the buildup to the event beginning on Wednesday before the race takes place at 11 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 7 for North American viewers.
There are several changes this season that will shift the landscape of the sport. The usual names like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes are all expected to compete for the title, but an 11th team is new to the field as Cadillac joins the fray and Audi also takes over Sauber Motorsport. Beyond the newcomers, overhauls to technical regulations are also expected to shake things up, so the initial weeks of the season should prove particularly interesting as we see how teams adjust.
Here are the opening odds and full field for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix on DraftKings Sportsbook.
2026 Australian Grand Prix odds, field
The Australian Grand Prix is traditionally one of the most exciting events of the season in Formula 1, which makes it a great starting point. It served as the season-opening race from 1996 until 2019, and was once again named the opener in 2025. The track at Albert Park is a semi-permanent street circuit consisting of 14 turns with a mix of straights and a handful of tight corners. As for weather conditions, race day in Melbourne is supposed to be mostly cloudy with just a 10% chance of precipitation.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, three drivers enter with odds shorter than +600 to win outright. George Russell is the favorite to take first place at +225 after finishing third at this track and fourth overall in the F1 standings last season. The Mercedes driver is the only member of the field with odds shorter than +300 and is listed at -225 for a podium finish.
The next-closest favorites are Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. Leclerc placed eighth at this event last season and fifth in the overall standings, and he enters with +330 odds to win the Australian Grand Prix this time around and -165 odds to record a podium finish. Verstappen, who finished second in both this event and the overall campaign last year, holds +350 odds in 2026 with -140 odds to finish in the top three.
There is a fairly significant gap between the top three and the rest of the field. Following that trio, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton comes in at +600 to take first place and +110 value to earn a spot on the podium — he finished 10th at the Australian Grand Prix and sixth overall last season. Following him on the leaderboard is Kimi Antonelli with +850 odds to win and +200 odds to end on the podium, the Mercedes teammate of Russell. He placed fourth here in Melbourne a year ago and took seventh over the course of the full campaign.
Perhaps surprisingly, McLaren star Lando Norris falls all the way to sixth in DraftKings Sportsbook’s odds to win the Australian Grand Prix at +1000 and +275 for a spot on the podium. After winning this race and the entire season in 2025, perhaps his odds should sit at least a bit shorter. However, the reigning race winner has failed to finish at the event in each of the last three years. Whether he can break that trend remains uncertain. Finally, teammate Oscar Piastri holds +1200 odds to win at +300 to end in the top three drivers.
The remainder of the field comes in with +10000 odds or longer to win the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. It includes the following racers:
- Isak Hadjar (+10000)
- Estaban Ocon (+13000)
- Pierre Gasly (+13000)
- Oliver Bearman (+13000)
- Nico Hulkenberg (+20000)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (+20000)
- Franco Colapinto (+20000)
- Liam Lawson (+25000)
- Carlos Sainz (+40000)
- Arvid Lindblad (+40000)
- Alexander Albon (+40000)
- Valtteri Bottas (+40000)
- Sergio Perez (+40000)
- Lancre Stroll (+50000)
- Fernando Alonso (+50000)
