Round 01: Australia - Race Day

Welcome to race day at the 2012 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne. Australia will be ready to host the first race of the season in just a couple of hours as we head into what could be a rather interesting and unpredictable competition.

The sun is shining in Melbourne (Sunday, March 18th)

Track preparations and events have already begun, with the drivers' parade soon to follow. In the mean time, let's take a look at what to consider before the race begins.

Important information ahead of the race:

•  Sauber's Sergio Perez has been given a 5 grid place penalty for a late gearbox change on Saturday evening. Perez was 17th on the grid. Therefore, every driver behind him moves up one position at the start of the race. 
• Both HRTs failed to qualify for the race, as they couldn't manage to set a time within the 107% rule. They have packed up and already left for Malaysia. 

Preparations for race day (Sunday, March 18th)

Weather:

• Current conditions are represented by light clouds above the track, with an average air temperature of 18 degrees, the wind blowing SE at 19 Km/h, a humidity of 68% and no showers in sight. Expect higher temperatures of 23 degrees later in the afternoon and a dry race. 

Things to watch:

• Safety car. In the past there have almost always been safety car periods during the races in Melbourne, so expect it to be no different this time around. It's a tight first couple of corner combinations, and with a grid of 22 drivers, not all of them might make it past Turn 1 & 2. 

• Tyre degradation. Not much is known so far about how well the new Pirellis might behave during a race. One thing's certain: the man who best manages them throughout the session will be king. 

• Red Bull. Although beaten to quite an extent during qualifying, expect Red Bull to strike back. Their race simulations in winter testing have shown promise, and it's highly likely that they'll be looking to repeat a similar performance. 

• Lotus. The dark horses of this season have proven that their pace in winter testing was no showboating. Expect Grosjean to rock a few boats and challenge the McLarens. And after a shocking performance on his comeback qualifying session, Raikkonen will be looking to prove he's got the competitive edge. Expect him to climb much higher up the order. 

So, with just a couple of hours to go before the race kicks off in Melbourne, there's still time to place some bets, but I would not encourage anyone to do so. It's looking to be really tight this time around.