F1 weather forecast: Rain expected for Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne – UK Times

The new Formula One season gets underway at Albert Park in Melbourne with anticipation high ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s debut for Ferrari.

McLaren and their star driver Lando Norris are the favourites, but his teammate and hometown hero Oscar Piastri will be hoping for success.

And what about Max Verstappen, as he goes for a fifth title in a row with Red Bull?

Mercedes are also eyeing a strong performance as they enter a new era with 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli partnering George Russell.

But what will the weather bring in Melbourne?

Qualifying on Saturday is set to be scorching conditions, with temperatures around 32C by the time of qualifying and track temperatures of beyond 40C.

Yet the grand prix on Sunday is a different story.

There is a high chance of rain from midday on Sunday – with the race starting at 3pm local time – with the rain expected to be around 3-10mm.

There will also be a breeze of around 40-50kph, but the temperature will still be warm around 23C.

The probability of rain is more than 80%, which could favour drivers such as Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

The last full wet race in Australia was back in 2010, won by then-defending champion and British driver Jenson Button.

Verstappen won the last wet race in F1, perhaps sealing his finest ever victory from 17th on the grid in Brazil in November, which effectively secured his fourth championship.