F1 Emilia-Romagna GP betting tips & odds for Imola 2025

The Formula 1 grid heads to one of its most historic venues as the 2025 season rolls into Italy for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.

Free Practice 1 is set for 9:30pm AEST on Friday, May 16. Qualifying follows at 11pm on Saturday, while the race itself begins at 11pm on Sunday, May 18.

After a string of flyaway races, Imola marks the start of F1’s European swing, and McLaren remain the team to beat. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continue to lead the charge, with Piastri narrowly holding onto the top spot in the drivers’ standings.

Red Bull will be desperate to find answers, with Max Verstappen continuing to struggle with race pace. While his one-lap speed remains elite — evidenced by his pole position in the last race — the team has been unable to convert that qualifying advantage into dominant race-day performances. If Red Bull want to stay in the title fight, they’ll need to find solutions fast.

Ferrari head into one of their home Grands Prix under mounting pressure following a disappointing start to Lewis Hamilton’s stint with the Scuderia. The Miami GP exposed glaring communication issues, with tense radio exchanges highlighting a lack of cohesion between the drivers and pit wall.

If Ferrari are serious about challenging at the top this weekend, they’ll need to tighten up their teamwork and execution — or risk falling further behind in front of their home crowd.

Mercedes, meanwhile, continue to showcase impressive consistency. George Russell is steadily banking valuable points near the top, while young gun Kimi Antonelli is building momentum with each outing.

This weekend marks the first Grand Prix where Antonelli has previously raced, giving him a rare advantage as a rookie. With the confidence of track familiarity and the support of his home crowd, the Italian prodigy will be gunning for his first F1 podium finish.

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2025 Imola Grand Prix odds

Piastri heads the betting for the Imola Grand Prix, closely followed by teammate Norris, as McLaren continue their strong form. Verstappen rounds out the single-figure chances

• Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +125
• Lando Norris (McLaren) – +140
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +450
• George Russell (Mercedes) – +1200
• Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +2500
• Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +3300
• Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +4000
• Alex Albon (Williams) – +15000
• Carlos Sainz (Williams) – +15000
• Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +50000

More odds provided at Neds

Imola GP 2025 betting predictions

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) to win

The leader of the Drivers’ Championship is proving exactly why he’s McLaren’s main man in 2025. Piastri continues to extract the maximum from the car in qualifying, showcasing elite one-lap pace, and unlike his teammate, he’s shown he can go toe-to-toe with Verstappen without putting a foot wrong. Calm, clinical, and composed, Piastri looks every bit a future world champion.

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) podium finish

The Mercedes rookie heads to Imola with confidence — not only from his familiarity with the circuit, but also from the boost of racing in front of his home crowd in Italy. With steady progression and growing pace, Antonelli will be gunning for his first career podium, and he’s offering great value with top online bookmakers to make that dream a reality at Imola.

Alex Albon (Williams) top-six finish

With Ferrari slowly slipping behind the front-runners and beginning to resemble more of a midfield team, Williams have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the season. Alex Albon’s impressive fifth-place finish in Miami was a clear statement; not only can he qualify well, but he’s consistently delivering strong race-day pace too. Albon is leading the charge for Williams, showing more composure and adaptability than Carlos Sainz, who is still settling into the team.

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