Emilia Romanga Grand Prix 2025 Predictions: Pole for Max again?

After a jaunt to the United States of America following the season opening across Asia, Formula One returns to Europe for the first time in the 2025 season. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (14:00, Sky Sports F1) kicks off a stretch of nine races on the continent out of the next ten. 

This will be Lewis Hamilton’s first Italian Grand Prix in the red of Ferrari so it should be a special occasion, even if he looks some way off winning a race at this present moment in time. Below you can find my Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2025 predictions and betting tips. 

There’s a new face on the grid this weekend as Alpine made the decision to replace Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto. The Argentine made nine appearances for Williams in 2024 but has only been given a five-race window to impress at Alpine.

“I have a great opportunity ahead. I’m happy to be back in F1,” he said. “I don’t even think about the five races. I’m just in a happy place and I’m dealing with it very well, I think, at the moment. I just want to get back in the seat and drive.”

Emilia Romanga Grand Prix Odds

Pirelli are also introducing their softest tyre yet this weekend - the C6 - so it will be interesting to see how that is used by the teams as they search for race pace. 

Oscar Piastri to win the race @ 5/4

McLaren haven’t won at Imola since David Coulthard stood atop the podium in 1998, but they are obvious favourites to win this race given what we’ve seen so far. There’s only one DRS detection point around this circuit and it could be the last race we see here in some time, but I do feel that McLaren have what it takes to finish top of the tree yet again. 

Given he has now won three races in a row, it would be silly of me not to back Oscar Piastri over Lando Norris. Especially given that at the time of writing they are both a similar price to take the chequered flag. Piastri has shown more than his teammate in the opening stages of the 2025 season and is getting more out of that McLaren right now. I’m comfortable backing him to win again. 

Max Verstappen to be on pole @ 7/2

These may be two fairly boring selections this week but given the changes we have seen in recent weeks I don’t fancy backing any of the outsiders to crack the top 10. Instead, I’m going to back Max Verstappen to be the fastest qualifier as he’s been so solid this season over one lap. 

He’s been on pole in three of their last four races and in 50% of the total Grands Prix in 2025, so I am a massive fan of the odds on offer for him to do it again. He’s won three times here before, so he likes this track, and given what’s on offer with Betfred I think he’s well worth backing to make it three pole positions in a row.