Roy the Boy's betting guide to Melbourne

13/03/2013

Australia, statistically is an amazing place. On a daily basis the country's population grows by almost 1,000 people. It gains one new person every 92 seconds. That means 60 new people will be residing in Australia between lights out and flag fall of this weekend's Melbourne Grand Prix.

Not quite so amazing, but a truly noteworthy stat, is Mark Webber's record at this venue. His form figures read: 5-R-R-5-R-13-R-12-9-5-4. These figures tell only part of the story as he has often been reckless, verging on dangerous, around this relatively smooth street circuit. I suspect there will be 62 new Australian residents by the time he completes the course as I don't believe he will be making his first Australian GP podium.

Not everyone agrees. I recently read an online tipster's piece which recommends a bet on the Aussie, citing the fact that "his fitness levels are greater than ever due to the removal of a metal plate from his leg". Which begs the question, if I were to get my fillings removed from my head would I be a smarter person?

Additionally, said tipster also states the appointment of a new race engineer - that's the voice a driver hears in his head when racing - will increase Mark Webber's chances. In all other walks of life it is generally accepted things improve when the voices actually go away isn't it?

As it stands Sebastian Vettel is currently rated 40% probable (that's odds of 6/4) to retain his World Drivers' Championship crown while his teammate, in identical equipment and without a metal rod in his leg, is less than five percent likely (currently 22/1).

Regardless of his shortcomings Webber remains one of Australia's best known exports right up there with Home and Away, Men at Work, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and the classic 'Brewed in the UK' tinny, Fosters.

For the slow on the uptake that's a parody akin to Milton Keynes distancing themselves so far from the locally-based Red Bull F1 team that it's officially described as being an Austrian outfit.

Of course we all know the reason for Red Bull being based in Milton Keynes and not Salzburg is the roundabouts. It's no coincidence Formula 1's best cornering car hails from a town which has more roundabouts than any city in the United Kingdom and also the biggest concentration of them: 3.82 per square-mile.

Same old, same old

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