Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton takes pole for Australian Grand Prix

Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton takes pole for Australian Grand Prix The 2008 Formula 1 season has finally arrived and fans were hardly surprised to see Lewis Hamilton taking the pole position for the Australian Grand Prix opener. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton went for 1:25.187, a result good enough to secure the Australian Grand Prix pole position, followed by BMW's Robert Kubica, who took the second spot with 1:25.315. Saturday's Formula 1 qualifiers were great for McLaren-Mercedes with Heikki Kovalainen landing the third position with time 1:25.452. Ferrari's Felipe Massa managed to secure the fourth position with best time 1:25.691, after his team mate Kimi Raikkonen was sidelined after fuel pump problems in Q2. BMW have plenty to celebrate today, after Nick Heidfeld secured the fifth position for the team for the start of the Australian Grand Prix.

The first Formula 1 race for the year is tomorrow and the bookmakers have already published the odds on winning the Australian Grand Prix. Starting with the European online bookmaker Bet365, Lewis Hamilton is naturally the favorite to win the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, listed with odds 4/7. Hamilton is followed by Felipe Massa with odds 4/1 and McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen comes third in odds at 6/1. Little respect for BMW despite the good qualifiers today, Robert Kubica is found fourth by odds at 9/1 to win the Formula 1 race tomorrow. Kimi Raikkonen, who will start at No.16 on Sunday is next with odds to win the Australian Grand Prix sitting at 18/1. Visit Bet365 for the full list of odds on the F-1 drivers, as well as various prop bets.

The odds on the Australian Grand Prix at the North American bookmaker BodogLife are similar - Lewis Hamilton holds favorite odds to win at 1/2, followed by Felipe Massa sitting on 9/2. Heikki Kovalainen is listed with odds 6/1 to win, then Robert Kubica at 9/1, but the odds on Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen are slightly shorter at 14/1.

Published on 03/15/2008