2025 F1 Imola GP: Qualifying Predictions

The first day of running in the F1 Imola GP is now done and dusted, and it ended with the McLaren duo at the top of the standings. Much has been said about the raft of upgrades that the teams would bring to the first race of the European leg of the season. Those upgrades seem not to have shuffled things too much, as the order appears to be more or less the same.

As the day came to an end, we had Oscar Piastri at the top with Lando Norris in close second. Qualifying is crucial in Imola and plays a major role in the final results. What do we expect from the F1 Imola GP qualifying then? Let's take a look.

#5 Williams duo makes it to Q3

It does appear that both Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are very comfortable with the car that they have under them, and the low downforce configuration is working well. Williams has been strong lately, and the team has shown an ability to be brilliant when it comes to nailing things in the midfield. We're going to see more of it in the F1 Imola GP qualifying, where we back the duo to reach Q3 on Saturday.

#4 Lewis Hamilton doesn't make it to Q3

Out of the top 4 teams, it does appear that Ferrari is the most vulnerable. The car has not looked settled for the most part on Friday, with both drivers having some issue or the other. McLaren has come out on top, with Mercedes, Red Bull, and the Scuderia very close to each other.

With that being the case, it's going to come down to fractions in Q2. With Alpine, RB, and Williams having competent cars at the F1 Imola GP, the final lap is crucial. We expect Lewis to struggle to make it to Q3, as the driver might be a few tenths behind what Charles Leclerc is capable of in the car.

#3 Alpine can potentially surprise in the top 10

Alpine appears to have the ability to do well when conditions are tire-limited. It was the same case in Bahrain, as the car just came alive and hence scored a decent haul of points. At the F1 Imola GP, it does appear that we have a similar situation at hand.

Pierre Gasly appears to be in supreme control of the car and nailing everything every time he's out on the track. There's definitely an opportunity for Alpine, and Gasly is certainly going to be the dark horse in the F1 Imola GP qualifying.

#2 Max Verstappen is potentially an outside contender for pole

The gap between Max Verstappen and the McLaren was around 3 tenths on Friday. At the same time, though, the 2025 F1 season has shown that Red Bull does not reveal all its cards on Friday. The team has a tendency to keep a few things close to its chest that do get revealed on Saturday.

The issue, however, for Red Bull and Max Verstappen at the F1 Imola GP qualifying is going to be the fact that the softer tire compounds are right on the limit when it comes to lasting the entire lap. When that happens, the car that's kinder on its tires tends to have the advantage.

We have seen this season that McLaren tends to do that, and it might be something that tilts the balance in the Woking-based team's favor. Thus, we may see the Dutch driver miss out on pole this weekend.

#1 Lando Norris secures pole position for the F1 Imola GP

It's very close between both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris once again, and the Imola GP's Friday was no different. The gap between the pair is nothing, and it is highly likely that all of it will come down to that one final lap in Q3.

Who are we backing this time around? It does appear that Lando Norris might have a slight edge over Oscar Piastri around Imola. The Briton appears to be in decent shape while on track, and it's hard to read too much into that final lap because both drivers were trying to do different approaches.

Imola has been a strong track for Lando Norris anyway, and we're backing him to secure pole position for Sunday.