Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2025: How to watch, predictions and everything to know as Red Bull introduce major update at Imola

Formula 1 has reached Imola for round seven and the first of a triple header to start the European leg of the 2025 season.

Oscar Piastri heads into the race as the championship leader with a 16-point lead over teammate Lando Norris, with the Briton keen to cut that with a potential victory on Sunday.

McLaren’s start to the season has been the best they have experienced in over 10 years, but it could be derailed if Red Bull’s planned upgrade for Imola provides them with a performance breakthrough.

Max Verstappen has been causing headaches for both of them by earning pole positions and his forceful racing on track, so any upgrades to the RB21 that make it faster will make it harder for McLaren to maintain their advantage.

This is why a victory for Norris could pose a challenge for the team, because if he closes the gap to Piastri then the McLaren pair will end up taking points off each other. This is where Verstappen’s consistency comes into play and might be what he needs to sneak to a fifth title if McLaren do not back one of their drivers later in the season.

Imola is set to be an important race for a lot of teams, so with that in mind, F1 Oversteer has previewed the race and given their expert predictions for how the weekend will pan out.

How to watch the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on TV? 

Sky Sports F1 will be providing live TV coverage in the UK, while those outside of the country can watch via F1 TV. Below are the start times for each session.

What is the weather forecast for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Friday is set to be a challenge for teams as high winds are forecast at the Imola circuit. The high winds are expected to hit the track in the early hours of Friday morning until the early afternoon, with gusts of up to 33kph (20mph) forecast.

This will likely impact FP1 the most over the weekend, with the teams set to get some respite for the afternoon session in FP2. Saturday it will stay sunny with a peak temperature of 22°C for qualifying.

Cloud cover is expected on Sunday with a slight chance of Level 2 to 3 showers in the race, with light winds also set to hit the track. There is a 50% chance that rain will hit the track during the race.

Who will start on pole for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Ben Evans: Lando Norris – The past few races have demonstrated that Norris has had the underlying pace to be on pole position but has sometimes made just one small mistake which has cost him.

Piastri and Verstappen will both be ready to pounce if he makes another error, but he’ll be well aware of how important starting on pole position is at Imola, and given the slowly increasing gap at the top of the drivers’ championship, he’ll also know he can’t afford another mistake this weekend

Who will win the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Rory Mitchell: Lando Norris – Imola has always been a good track for Norris, having come close to a win last year and achieved podiums in 2022 and 2021. It would be a crucial win for Norris if he does get it, as he’ll take points away from Oscar Piastri.

Although, as Mario Andretti recently highlighted, McLaren will need to decide on who to back in the Drivers’ Championship to avoid the impending threat of Red Bull should their Imola upgrade work.

Who will achieve podiums at the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

David Comerford: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen – Piastri will run Norris close in second place, and then it’s likely to be Max Verstappen vs George Russell behind them. Red Bull’s Imola upgrades could give Verstappen the edge, though Russell will maintain his 100% top-five record.

A home podium doesn’t look realistic for Ferrari, fortunately, especially with Charles Leclerc nursing an illness coming into the weekend.

Who will be the biggest surprise of the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Tyler Rowlinson: Franco Colapinto – It’s deja vu for Franco Colapinto as he returns to F1 mid-season at an Italian circuit, only in very different circumstances to his time at Williams.

While he had nothing to lose in 2024 as he knew full well a seat was off the cards in 2025, he is now fighting to stay on the grid with Alpine. At his first race back at Imola, one anticipates the Argentine to take this opportunity with both hands and show why Flavio Briatore has put so much faith in him.

Colapinto put in strong times in a TPC test at Zandvoort, running close to Pierre Gasly’s times in the A523 in 2023. The A525 may not be the most competitive car on the grid, as Gasly has proved, it can score points.

Unlike Jack Doohan, the 21-year-old has experience with getting a midfield car into the points. One finds it hard to believe that Colapinto will not impress people at Imola this weekend, provided he keeps his car out of the barriers.

Who will be the biggest disappointment of the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Kyle Archer: Andrea Kimi Antonelli – Andrea Kimi Antonelli can become the first Italian driver to win a Grand Prix in Italy since 1990 if the Mercedes rookie gets on the top step of the Imola podium in Sunday’s Emilia Romagna GP. Imola also saw the last Italian winner in Italy at the 1990 San Marino GP.

Yet Italy’s wait for its latest home winner is likely to continue with Antonelli still yet to hone his trade into a race-winning or even a podium-finishing package. The Bologna boy displayed great single-lap pace as Antonelli took pole for the Miami Sprint, but he must find race pace.

It is the one substantial flaw the 18-year-old needs to iron out to take the step forward and earn rostrum results. Even Antonelli told Mercedes to analyse his lack of race pace in Miami after struggling to keep up with teammate George Russell after taking on the hard C3 tyres.

Pirelli has picked the softest tyres in their range for Imola, as well, with the C6 tyre making its debut in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna GP. The C5, on which Antonelli qualified third on grid for the Miami GP, is the medium for Imola and the C4 will serve as the hard compound.

It also remains to be seen how the Mercedes gem can cope with the pressure of driving on home soil this weekend. Antonelli had a 52G crash through Monza’s Parabolica at last year’s Italian Grand Prix amid the second flying lap of his first appearance at an F1 race weekend.”