BRAWN GP'S BUTTON AND BARRICHELLO TIPPED FOR AUSTRALIAN GP

Some stunning performances in early pre-season testing have vaulted the Brawn GP team to the top of the favourites list for the 2009 Australian Grand Prix. The former Honda team have impressed virtually everybody with an interest in F1 with some excellent form from Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Things may not be as rosy as they seem on the surface with Red Bull supposedly lodging a formal complaint over the design of the cars used by the Brawn team. Specifically they are upset at the design of the rear diffuser (the rear part of the car's floor, between the back wheels and back wing) and it is not just the Brawn GP team that is being investigated. Williams and Toyota are also facing some flack from competitors over the style of rear diffuser they are using as well. This tension hasn't stopped the punters from piling onto the Brawn GP team in the early betting markets. At the time of this writing, Jensen Button is neck and neck with Kimi Raikkonen for the outright race winner for the 2009 Aussie GP. Both drivers can be backed at 5.0 with Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso just behind them at 6.0 apiece. Barichello is a solid value bet at 8.0 while Robert Kubica is available at 9.0. Last year's driver of the year Lewis Hamilton is listed at an enticing 10.0. There is about a dozen other drivers scattered about with odds ranging from 21.0 to 301.0. Ladbrokes is offering up an each-way bet on the Australian GP with ¼ odds on the first 3 places. You can have a go at putting together a little podium accumulator if you can pick the top 3 in any order. RECOMMENDATION:1: Jenson Button2: Kimi Raikkonen3: Lewis Hamilton