Just last week, Oscar Piastri opined that, thanks to AI, qualifying is now a lottery, and, based on comments over this weekend, the races are going that way as well. No doubt, if it hasn't already, F1 is seeking an official lottery partner.
AI aside, there are various banana skins waiting to catch the drivers out today, be it the wind, the heat, tyre deg, the dusty track surface, the bumps, traffic, the inability to overtake, the dreaded energy management, all manor of factors appear to be in the mix, making the race something of, a... lottery.
Norris did well to claim pole, but he will be hard put to convert it into his first win of the season.
Courtesy of Hamilton's grid penalty he will have Leclerc alongside him, with Piastri, Verstappen, Russell, Antonelli and the seven-time world champion breathing down his neck.
With all those potential banana skins, one looks to experience, which means that Hamilton, who has looked strong all weekend, must be in with a shout, likewise Verstappen, though that's assuming we get through the first complex of corners without any slip ups.
In Hamilton's favour is the fact that he is the only big gun with a fresh set of softs, though he has lost out in terms of the mediums. All the main players have two sets of fresh hards.
Ferrari's long runs looked good on Friday, though McLaren was also strong. On the other hand, Red Bull and Mercedes have not quite convinced here.
Pirelli's simulations show no difference in overall race time between a one-stop and a two-stop strategy. Degradation, which has been higher than expected, has effectively brought the two strategic options into line, allowing teams to evaluate different scenarios depending on the new sets they have preserved.
In both FP3 and qualifying, as was already the case during Friday's first two sessions, some teams followed a different approach from the rest by using an additional set of mediums and the yellow-banded tyre is still likely to be the preferred compound for the start. Those opting for a one-stop strategy could then complete the race on the hard, with the pit stop window falling between laps 26 and 32.
In the case of a two-stopper, however, given that only two teams, Williams and Cadillac, still have two new sets of mediums available, it is more likely that the final stints will be run on the hard compound, with pit stop windows between laps 16 and 22 for the first stop and laps 40 and 46 for the second. Traffic and the difficulty in overtaking remain key factors and could encourage several teams to favour a one-stop approach.
The use of the soft tyre cannot be ruled out however, as it has demonstrated good levels of grip and sufficient durability. Around ten seconds slower than the two main strategies are the soft-hard-medium and medium-hard-soft combinations.
Drivers able to build a gap over their rivals may be able to make an additional stop without the risk of losing position, while others could use the undercut to their advantage. The situation therefore remains open and it would not be surprising to see different strategies even between drivers from the same team.
Behind the big guns the battle for 'best of the rest' is likely to be between RB, Alpine and Audi, with a struggling Haas likely to be under threat from Alonso.
For Williams and Cadillac it will be like that day many, many years ago, when, as a young schoolkid, you stared at the big clock on the wall counting the seconds to the bell and the start of the holidays.
The pitlane opens and Sainz leads the way, followed by Lindblad, Norris, Bortoleto and Russell.
Air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 53 degrees, the warmest it's been all weekend and unlikely to go down well with Mercedes. That said, there is a 20% chance of rain, though we've been hearing that every weekend since Melbourne.
All are starting on mediums bar Leclerc, Hamilton, Bortoleto, Alonso, Sainz and Stroll who are on softs. Fresh rubber for all bar Leclerc on that red-banded rubber.
They head off on the formation lap, Leclerc slow in getting away.
The grid forms.
They're away! While Norris and Leclerc get away well, further back Hadjar makes a lightning start. Norris gets ahead with Piastri right behind, and as they head into Turn 1 the Briton is on the inside with the Australian looking to go around the outside. Behind, Verstappen is on the inside, with Leclerc and Hamilton alongside. Antonelli appears to have the edge on Hadjar with the RBs eight behind.
Verstappen squeezes through in third, while Hamilton appears to have the edge on Leclerc, with Hajar having got ahead of Antonelli.
Exiting Turn 2 Norris runs wide allowing his teammate to take the lead, while Hamilton is side-by-side with Verstappen and Leclerc is under attack from Antonelli who has re-passed Hadjar.
Losing out to Verstappen, Hamilton is under attack from Leclerc, however the Briton hasn't entirely given up on the Dutchman.
Leclerc makes a move in the chicane but his teammate slams the door.
Meanwhile "What happened there," asks Russell who has dropped to 20th, his car having gone into anti-stall at the start.
At the end of Lap 1, it's: Piastri, Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Antonelli, Hadjar, Lawson, Lindblad and Hulkenberg.
Hamilton is all over Verstappen, however the Dutchman is in no mood to yield.
Alonso has been noted for forcing Bearman off track.
After 3 laps Russell is up to 16th, but he still faces a long afternoon.
Piastri posts a new fastest lap (25.154) as he builds a 0.856s lead.
"The damping failed for sure," reports Verstappen, "the car is completely ****!"
As the Red Bull driver concentrates on Hamilton, the McLarens extend their lead.
Perez - who started from the pitlane - has been noted for a starting procedure infringement.
Stroll pits at the end of Lap 8, as Hamilton continues to harry Verstappen.
Russell passes Ocon for twelfth.
"Dirty air, much faster," replies Norris when asked about his tyres and pace.
"Please do something about these shifts," says Russell, "and don't tell me it's me shifting later."
"Max is really slow," reports Hamilton.
At the end of Lap 13, Hamilton pits. He rejoins in 9th, behind Lindblad, on hards.
The Briton makes short work of the RB driver, and sets about closing the gap to Lawson.
Next time around Verstappen pits, the Dutchman rejoining just behind Hamilton's Ferrari.
"Box, box," Piastri is told, however a very slow Bottas is cruising into the pitlane and consequently the Australian aborts.
By the way, the driver tracker has gone absolutely berserk.
Verstappen makes a late charge on Hamilton in Turn 1 and goes through on the inside to claim 6th.
Piastri and Leclerc both pit at the end of Lap 16. They rejoin in fourth and eighth.
Told that was a "special" move, Verstappen claims that Hamilton moved under braking.
Norris pits at the end of Lap 17, handing the lead to Antonelli.
Norris rejoins in fourth, behind Piastri and just ahead of Verstappen.
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