2025 F1 Italian GP: Preview and Predictions

The 2025 F1 Italian GP at Monza has always continued to be a spectacle in the sport. The race with the Tifossi painting the town red and cheering for the Italian pride is a sight that not many iconic races can match.

The sight of a Ferrari driver winning the F1 Italian GP and then being cheered to the heart's content is one of the more joyful sights we could ever ask for. Charles Leclerc was able to live that moment for a second time in his career last year. What can we expect from the 2025 F1 Italian GP? Let's take a look.

2025 F1 Italian GP: Preview

Key Storylines

#1 The title battle

It's unfortunate what happened at Zandvoort with Lando Norris, but the reality is that such a thing is just part of the sport. The British driver is now 34 points behind Oscar Piastri, and that gap is certainly massive.

It does change the dynamics, however, to a certain extent, as the Brit might become a tad more aggressive in his bid to close down the Piastri advantage in the championship.

#2 It's Lewis Hamilton's first one with Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton ended the Dutch GP early and in the wall, and in a season that promised so much and has delivered so little, he heads to Ferrari's home for the F1 Italian GP. He has won here a lot of times, and he has been a dominant force when it comes to clinching some of the better results as well.

But the current form and expectations, and to a certain extent pressure, are something he'll have to deal with on his first trip to Monza as a Ferrari driver.

#3 Kimi Antonelli's home race

Well, this is the big one for Kimi Antonelli. He's heading home for the F1 Italian GP, and he's doing so in a car that's strong enough to give him a decent result.

He's also going home after a disastrous incident with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. It's a poisoned chalice, but Kimi will get a lot of love from the fans for sure this weekend, what needs to be seen is whether it propels him to a strong result or limits him.

Form Guide

In Form

Isack Hadjar is on cloud nine at the moment, and that has all to do with the fact that the rookie has that bookmarked result that's not going anywhere.

That podium made him the fastest graduate to reach a podium in Red Bull Academy history. Will it open the door to a promotion? It should. Does he want it, though? We'll have to wait and see how the next chapter evolves, but for now, the French driver has made his mark.

Out of Form

Lewis Hamilton needs a strong result in Monza! What doesn't help, unfortunately, is that the driver already has a 5-place grid penalty for Sunday, and that puts him on the back foot even more.

Driving for Ferrari at the F1 Italian GP is not only prestigious, it's one of the ultimate satisfactions of being a driver. But we cannot deny that Hamilton comes to the track with some of his worst form in recent times.

Driver with the biggest spotlight

Kimi Antonelli is still a bit young, and he would be given time to establish himself in the sport. One driver, however, who has been flying the Ferrari flag all this time is Charles Leclerc. Last year, he gave the Tifosi the best possible gift by winning in front of them. This season, he's going to try to do it again as everyone keeps an eye on him.

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2025 F1 Italian GP: Predictions

Who wins the race?

We're going with the 'vibes' this time around and picking Charles Leclerc to win the F1 Italian GP. It's going to be a tough ask for sure, especially with McLaren at its marauding best, but the Ferrari is not a bad car either.

The lower downforce setup could potentially help the team instead of the higher downforce tracks that we've been racing on recently. It's going to take a lot, and it's not going to be easy, but we're backing Ferrari to win the F1 Italian GP.

Biggest surprise of the weekend? (Team)

Williams is one team that has often excelled at Monza in the last few seasons, and that strength still continues to be a feature after all this evolution.

The gap between Midfield and the top 4 is not as big in general, and for the F1 Italian GP, we're backing the Grove-based squad to do some giant-killing.

Biggest surprise of the weekend? (Driver)

Away from the rampant criticism that he has been subjected to recently, Kimi Antonelli's form in the car has not necessarily been as bad. The Italian was just a couple of tenths off George Russell in Zandvoort, and that is more or less acceptable for the rookie.

The F1 Italian GP is his first one at Monza, and he is going to get the kind of support that he hasn't in general. We're backing the young Italian to surprise and pick up a podium at his home race.

Biggest disappointment of the weekend? (Team)

This might not be a Red Bull track in any way. The car struggled in Monza last season as well and does face some issues when we have an extremely low downforce setup. The F1 Italian GP might be a disappointing one for the team.

Biggest disappointment of the weekend? (Driver)

Lewis Hamilton is starting the weekend on the back foot, and one fears it's not going to get much better for him. The best-case scenario for him is that he secures pole position for the F1 Italian GP and then has to start in P6.

One wonders if that would be too big an ask for the Brit here. He's under pressure and would be motivated to do a better job for sure. But would that be enough for him to have a standout result? Possibly not.