Imola, another Lando Norris-Oscar Piastri showdown
F1 returns and restarts from Imola, which kicks off the European leg of the season. At the Santerno circuit, McLaren arrives once again as a clear favourite, a status reinforced by the recent Miami GP, where Oscar Piastri claimed his fourth win in the first six races of the championship.
Oscar Piastri’s words
“I’m heading to Imola with a lot of positivity and confidence, along with the determination to keep pushing. It’s an old-school track with iconic corners like Acque Minerali and Piratella, and I’m excited to take it on with the MCL39,” Oscar Piastri commented. “I have great momentum and I’m extremely focused for this first race of the European season.” – the Australian driver pointed out ahead of the seventh round of the 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
Lando Norris’s words
Lando Norris, meanwhile, must respond on track to Piastri to close at least part of the 16-point gap separating him from his teammate: “I’m excited to go to Imola and to kick off the European season. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to it. It was also nice to return to the McLaren Technology Centre to see the team and celebrate the Miami win, but also to continue preparing for the triple-header. The car has been performing very well and I’m ready for what’s next.”
The qualifying factor
The papaya cars will surely be major players at Imola, the first weekend of a triple-header that also includes Monaco and Montmeló. However, since overtaking on this track won’t be easy, the Woking team will need to improve its qualifying performance, where Max Verstappen has managed to take pole in 50% of the GPs so far.
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