Formula 1 headed to Europe for the first time in the 2025 season as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix kicked off a crucial triple-header that could reshape the championship narrative. After two Sprints and four main race weekends, the grid arrived in Imola with tensions rising from imminent aero rule changes and an inter-team battle at McLaren playing out for the Drivers’ title, not forgetting surprise driver shuffles to headline-making team principal exits. The sport’s off-track drama in the two-week break was matching the intensity on it, and now, the paddock braced for a wave of car upgrades as teams looked to make gains in the heart of the season.
Returning to the iconic Imola circuit, Formula One revisited a track steeped in F1 history. The 2025 campaign had already delivered chaos on track and clarity off it that McLaren were leading the way, and with three races in as many weeks on European soil, there would be little room for error from teams in their car development. The stakes were high for those teams out front, with the dilemma of continuing to upgrade their 2025 cars vs. switching their focus to the sweeping rule changes for 2026. The margins were as tight as they ever had been.
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 16 May 2025 – 18 May 2025
Race date: Sunday, 18 May, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Laps: 63
Circuit length: 4.909km
2024 winner: Max Verstappen
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | TBC | TBC | |
| Time | TBC | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | TBC | TBC | |
| Time | TBC | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | TBC | TBC | |
| Second | TBC | TBC | |
| Third | TBC | TBC | |
As the 2025 season shifted to Europe, Formula 1 returned to a venue that blends heritage with high-stakes racing — the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, better known as Imola. Named in memory of Enzo Ferrari and his son Dino, and nestled along the Santerno River in Emilia-Romagna, the circuit has been a staple of modern F1 since its comeback in the 2020 season, reclaiming its place on the calendar after a 14-year absence. Though the 2023 race was sadly cancelled due to devastating floods in the region, Imola had since bounced back.
This old-school circuit has always been a firm favourite among drivers and teams alike. The country has hosted more rounds of the Drivers’ World Championship than any other country, with 74 of the 107 races held at Monza, 31 at Imola, and one each at Mugello and Pescara. With unforgiving gravel traps, minimal runoff, and the absence of modern frills, Imola demands precision — and punishes mistakes. The narrow, high-speed layout leaves little room for error, placing a premium on qualifying, particularly with just a single DRS zone stretching down the long start-finish straight into Tamburello. Overtaking is hard-earned here, but that only adds to the spectacle.
This is a track steeped in heritage and heroics. Before the 2025 race, Michael Schumacher remained the undisputed master of Imola, with seven Grand Prix victories to his name. Behind him sat three giants of the sport tied on three wins each: long-time rivals Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, and the defending world champion at the tie, Max Verstappen — who has dominated in recent years with a hat-trick of victories. Senna also topped the all-time pole tally with eight, ahead of Schumacher on five and René Arnoux with three. In terms of podiums, Schumacher led once again with 12, doubling Prost’s six, while Senna and Gerhard Berger rounded out the elite with five apiece.
Among the teams, Ferrari and Williams were tied for most wins at Imola with eight each, though McLaren wasn’t far behind with six. McLaren, however, held the edge in pole positions, securing eight in total, ahead of Ferrari’s six and Williams’ four. When it came to podium finishes, the big three dominated once again — Ferrari leading the way with 25, followed by McLaren on 22 and Williams with 15.
In 2024, fans were treated to a nail-biting finish as Lando Norris mounted a late charge on Max Verstappen, ultimately finishing just 0.7 seconds behind the Red Bull driver in a tense final lap pursuit. It was a reminder of what Imola can deliver. Now, with the 2025 European leg about to unfold, the motorhomes were back, the trucks lined up by the river, and the stage set for another chapter at one of F1’s most revered tracks.
Weekend schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 2025 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time |
| 16 May 2025 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time |
| 17 May 2025 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 12:30 am – 1:30 pm local time |
| 17 May 2025 | Qualifying | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time |
| 18 May 2025 | Race | 3:00 pm local time |
Saturday Qualifying: Report post-session.
Sunday Race: Report post-session.
Championship background
Last time out, under the Florida sun, the McLaren of Oscar Piastri charged to a third consecutive Grand Prix victory in Miami, asserting himself as the championship frontrunner. With a composed drive and clinical execution, Piastri extended his lead in the standings to 16 points over his teammate Lando Norris, who once again followed him home in second. The duo had emerged as the team to beat, setting the benchmark with consistency and raw pace, but it was Piastri getting into his stride that sent headlines spinning.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, endured a bruising weekend in Miami. A tough Sprint and an underwhelming Grand Prix left the Red Bull star 32 points adrift of Piastri, raising questions about whether the reigning champion could claw his way back. But the fight was far from over. Red Bull and much of the grid were expected to bring significant upgrade packages to Imola—changes they hoped would reignite their title campaign and close the growing gap to McLaren.
Ferrari, racing on home turf at Imola, would be under the microscope. With the passionate Tifosi watching on, all eyes would be on Lewis Hamilton as he made his long-awaited first appearance in scarlet on Italian soil. The pressure was mounting at Maranello, and the expectations were sky-high as the team looked for a statement performance to reassert its place among the front-runners.
Adding to the home-soil storyline, young Kimi Antonelli arrived in Imola on a high. The Mercedes rookie stunned the paddock with a sensational Sprint pole in Miami, outshining more experienced names and overshadowing even George Russell—despite Russell’s podium finish in the race. Antonelli’s meteoric rise had been one of the season’s most compelling narratives so far, and the question now was whether the Italian prodigy could keep his foot on the throttle in front of a home crowd.
Then there was Alpine, who arrived in Imola with a reshuffled driver line-up with Jack Doohan out and Franco Colapinto in, alongside a significant shake-up in leadership. While whispers of a driver change had been swirling throughout the 2025 Miami Grand Prix weekend, the real shock came off-track — just 48 hours after the chequered flag fell in Florida, Team Principal Oliver Oakes announced his immediate departure from the team.
The exit sent ripples through the paddock. Oakes had been a key figure in Alpine’s long-term vision, and his sudden resignation left a leadership vacuum just as the European leg of the 2025 season got underway. In response, Flavio Briatore was stepping in to take on a number of Oakes’ responsibilities, and all eyes would be on him in Imola — particularly when it comes to navigating the media spotlight and steering the team through a pivotal weekend.
Race entries
The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2025 season’s entry list, featuring no reserve drivers for the race other than:
- A driver swap at the sister teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, where Yuki Tsunoda moved up to the parent Red Bull team and Liam Lawson headed in the opposite direction back to Racing Bulls, for round three at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
- Jack Doohan stepping out of the race seat at Alpine (post Miami), beginning with the following round, the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The team confirmed that former Williams and Alpine reserve driver, Franco Colapinto, would take his place alongside number one driver, Pierre Gasly.
Aside from these changes, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
Imola didn’t just begin the start of the European leg of the 2025 season — it also hosted the on-track debut of Pirelli’s brand-new C6 compound. As part of the softest trio in this 2025 tyre range, the C6 was nominated as the Soft (red) option for the weekend, alongside the C5 (yellow) as Medium and C4 (white) as Hard.
Designed for circuits that place minimal stress on tyres, the C6 was expected to deliver even more grip over a flying lap, particularly on a track like Imola, where the surface is smoother and less abrasive than average. While it was unlikely to feature in long race stints, its performance in qualifying conditions could prove crucial. Pirelli would use the data gathered here and from upcoming Monaco and Montreal races to determine whether the C6 was viable for wider use later in the season.
FIND OUT MORE
Free Practice
FP1 Report: Post session.
FP2 Report: Post session.
FP3 Report: Post session.
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 was held on 16 May 2025 from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm local time.
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 was held on 16 May 2025 from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm local time.
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 was held on 17 May 2025 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm local time.
Qualifying
Qualifying Report: Post session.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying was held on 17 May 2025 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm local time.
2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Qualifying session.
What happened in the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?
Race Report: Post session.
2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix race results
The 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Race was held on 18 May 2025 at 3:00 pm local time.
2025 Emilia Romagna Prix Fastest Laps
Full standings are announced post-race.
2025 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
2025 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
Full standings are announced post-race.
2025 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
Full standings are announced post-race.
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