The Emilia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix will run on Sunday. The event, held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy, will be the seventh race of the season and the first of a triple-header opening the European season.
Find my Formula 1 betting preview and Emilia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix prediction below.
Emilia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix Preview
If the Miami GP confirmed one thing, it's that Oscar Piastri's title challenge is extremely serious. The Australian driver looked like he'd be out of the picture after Saturday's qualifying, where he finished fourth behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen, teammate Lando Norris and Mercedes' teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli.
However, Piastri took advantage of yet another coming together between Norris and Verstappen to claim third, reeled Antonelli in masterfully for a second and then powered through to first as Verstappen's Red Bull failed him. Piastri sailed smoothly for his third consecutive win, and the fourth in the season.
Piastri now looks the overwhelming candidate for the Drivers' Championship, leading the table with 131 points, 16 ahead of teammate Norris and 32 in front of Verstappen.
The start of the European swing, however, could throw a spanner in the works. Imola is the first of two tracks where teams have traditionally brought up big sets of car upgrades, the other being Barcelona in three weeks' time.
Among the front runners, Red Bull Racing is setting up both cars with the major floor upgrade they debuted in Miami, a new front wing, and a redeveloped nose cone. Mercedes is the other team with significant work in its cars, with a new floor ready and potentially a new rear wing, while McLaren will only bring tweaks to its floor and rear diffuser. Ferrari was expected to take a big step in development, yet team principal Fred Vasseur announced most of the upgrade package won't debut until Barcelona.
A narrow, old-school circuit where modern F1 cars find it hard to overtake, expect Saturday's qualification to play a key role at Imola. Corners are often paired, which means a mistake in the first one can also cost you time in the second one. That proves especially true in the build-up to the main straight, which is coincidentally the biggest overtaking spot, with the hard braking zone at the Tamburello chicane.
Tyre provider Pirelli announced they're taking their softest (hence, quickest but least durable) C6 compound to the GP, looking to bolster teams' strategic planning on a track that has usually been a single-stop race.
Emilia-Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix Predictions, Picks
Max Verstappen Fastest Qualifier (+260, DraftKings)
There's very little evidence that you need to confirm that the last couple of Red Bull Racing cars have been absolute tractors, only dragged to contention by Verstappen's excellence, other than his last three teammates' performance on the same machinery. Yet, a couple of factors are working for the defending champ with this one.
With its hard braking zones and sharp turns, the track at Imola favors an aggressive driver who works the front end of the car and "attacks" the track. That's Verstappen described to a tee. The team's new car upgrades should give him an even better chance, while using Pirelli's C6 tyres could compensate for any grip deficiencies elsewhere.
Over the length of a whole grand prix, he's not keeping the McLarens behind, but few drivers can challenge Verstappen's pace over a single, flat-out lap. He's already claimed three of the season's six pole positions, and I see him taking another one.
Oscar Piastri to Win (+150, DraftKings)
I know it's hardly an adventurous take, but I did back Norris to show some reaction at Miami, and he again threw the race away in the first corner.
At this point, I feel it's increasingly Piastri's title to lose rather than Norris' to win if the season's tune doesn't change soon. The Australian has shown he's incredibly fast and a gutsy, brave driver. His overtake on Lewis Hamilton at Saudi Arabia showed he won't hesitate to take high-risk, high-reward moves, and his way of dealing with Verstappen's elbows-out style of defense is fearless compared to Norris'.
With just 52 F1 race starts under his belt, it's still very possible that the pressure will get to him sometime, but for now, it looks like he has everything to become Australia's first Drivers' World Champion since Alan Jones in 1980.
Isack Hadjar To Finish Top 10 (+140, DraftKings)
Before Williams Racing shocked the paddock by bringing the fight to Ferrari at the last couple of races, Racing Bulls looked like the leading candidate for best-of-the-rest. The junior team in Red Bull Racing's structure struggled in 2024 but is no stranger to competing in the higher echelons of the midfield.
Having narrowly missed the points in a few races, the team will hope that their upgrade package, including a new floor, diffuser, and potentially a new front wing, will unlock more performance from the car. With Williams Racing team principal James Vowles confirming the British team will stop developing their current car to focus on challenging for 2026, the tide could turn quickly.
French rookie Isack Hadjar will spearhead that effort. Despite a soul-crushing debut crash in Australia, he has largely been the best driver in the team after the departure of Japanese star Yuki Tsunoda. If the upgrade pushes the car forward as they hope, he will be in the top 10 and return to points.
