» Rain likely for Australian GP

With Mark Webber’s front-row start pulling an expectant crowd to Albert Park in their thousands, fans will need to pack both sunscreen and raincoats to cope with Melbourne’s typically changing conditions this afternoon.

Despite a forecasted high of 31 degrees Celsius, the local weather bureau is also predicting a 70% chance of rain during the race, which will throw another twist into an already uncertain race.

Already, the Twitter feeds of Lotus Technical Director Mike Gascoyne and several F1 journalists on-site are reporting that spots of rain are beginning to fall, with just over three hours until the start of the 58-lap race.

If the track conditions are still damp come the 5pm start time, expect conditions to fall heavily in favour of both Red Bull drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who are proven wet-weather specialists. Michael Schumacher proved quick in the damp practice session on Friday, and he could be another contender. I’d also fancy Adrian Sutil and Sébastien Buemi to shine in the damp conditions.

Many of us who have entered Richard’s F1 Tipping Competition have generally sided with the top-four teams’ drivers to finish in the top-eight positions.

Will this ring true if the weather stays damp? I highly doubt it!