Max Verstappen has won each of the last three editions of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but the Red Bull driver arrived at Imola for the 2025 race without a win in three.
Only Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have won at Imola since F1 returned to the iconic track in the Emilia Romagna region in 2020. The Dutchman got onto the top step of the podium in Ferrari’s backyard in 2021, 2022 and 2024. F1 cancelled the 2023 race amid the local floods.
But Verstappen’s streak of success at the Emilia Romagna GP may come to an end this year with McLaren the in-form squad. Oscar Piastri has won all three of the last Grands Prix since Verstappen led Lando Norris home in Japan for the Red Bull racer’s only win to date in 2025.
Marc Priestley tips Max Verstappen and George Russell to ‘hold’ McLaren back at Imola
Marc Priestley also saw Verstappen visibly frustrated during FP1 at Imola as the Red Bull star struggled with oversteer during the first practice session for the Emilia Romagna GP. But the ex-McLaren mechanic still feels Verstappen can worry Norris and Piastri for Sunday at Imola.
Red Bull have fitted upgrades on Verstappen’s car at Imola, including a new sidepod, as they strive to unlock more aerodynamic gains from the RB21. The Milton Keynes squad have also updated the radiator duct inlet on their car and adapted the fairings on the rear suspension.
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| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Oscar Piastri |
131 |
| 2 |
Lando Norris |
115 |
| 3 |
Max Verstappen |
99 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
93 |
| 5 |
Charles Leclerc |
53 |
| 6 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
48 |
| 7 |
Lewis Hamilton |
41 |
And Priestley is confident that Verstappen, as well as Mercedes star George Russell, can put Norris and Piastri on notice for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix if they can qualify strongly at Imola. Verstappen and Russell must also start strongly this Sunday to ‘hold’ their rivals back.
Priestley said on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra (16/05, 16:04): “Overtaking is not that easy around this race track. There’s not too many opportunities to make a big lunge on the brakes and get by.
“So, if you can have a good qualifying session and we know how good Max is on a Saturday afternoon, if he can get the car in front on the grid and get a good start at the beginning of the Grand Prix, he might even be able to then control the pace.
“If he can get to the front in qualifying and get away from the line well, then Verstappen has a very good chance, as by the way does the likes of George Russell and anyone else who can really perform in qualifying, they might be able to hold those McLarens back.”
George Russell has shown pace at Imola but Pierre Gasly is a surprise package in practice
Russell is thus far yet to win in the 2025 F1 season with Piastri (4), Norris and Verstappen (1) dominating the early stages. But the Mercedes racer is the only driver to finish every Grand Prix, F1 Sprint and qualifying session in the top five through the opening six rounds of 2025.
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The Briton, making his 135th Grand Prix entry at Imola, also has four podium finishes to sit just six points off Verstappen in the F1 drivers’ championship. Mercedes have also enjoyed solid pace in practice to suggest Russell and Verstappen can qualify at the front of the grid.
Yet Pierre Gasly of Alpine was the surprise package this Friday as he finished FP1 in P6, only 0.151s off Piastri’s table-topping pace and 0.097s down on Russell in P4. Verstappen’s best effort even only left the four-time reigning drivers’ champion in P7 and 0.360s off the pace.
Piastri also, again, led the way in a McLaren one-two ahead of Norris in FP2 as Gasly ranked an impressive third with a 0.276s deficit. Russell and Verstappen rounded out the top five in FP2 with 0.400s and 0.442s gaps to Piastri, while Norris was 0.025s off his teammate’s time.
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