Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Tips: Piastri dominance to continue
Oscar Piastri’s spell of dominance was extended in Miami as he took a third successive Grand Prix victory after coming second in the Sprint, extending his lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris at the top of the F1 World Drivers’ Championship to 16 points.
As we head back to Europe for a three-race run that takes us to Italy, Monte Carlo, and Spain, the Australian driver will be looking to stamp his authority on the championship race.
Tip 1 – Oscar Piastri to win @ 5/4
Despite a subpar fourth in qualifying for the Miami Grand Prix, Piastri produced a dominant display in the main event on the Sunday, passing Norris on the opening lap before systematically picking off Kimi Antonelli and pole-sitter Max Verstappen to take the lead.
From that point on, Piastri looked unstoppable as he coasted past the chequered flag almost five seconds ahead of his teammate and some 37 seconds clear of the first non-McLaren car of George Russell.
There is every chance that lead over Norris could have been greater, too, with Piastri rarely needing to display his true pace as he eased clear of the chaos behind him.
That was the Australian’s third successive Grand Prix victory and his fifth podium on the spin, with the only blemish on his record being a relatively disastrous season opener in his home town of Melbourne.
Piastri finished fourth in his only previous outing around Imola in last season’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but the 24-year-old has come on leaps and bounds in the past 12 months and is a justified favourite for his second run around the circuit.
The McLaren is by far the fastest car on the grid, and while Norris is in with a chance, the Briton has not been at his best in recent races and could find himself playing second fiddle to Piastri again this weekend.
Tip 2 – George Russell to finish on the podium @ 6/4
After taking the top-two spots on the podium by over half a minute in Miami, McLaren’s pace advantage looks unassailable at present, but Mercedes appear to have the second-best car on the grid, so their number-one driver Russell is a decent bet to claim another podium finish on Sunday.
Russell finished two seconds clear of Max Verstappen to take third place in the Miami Grand Prix, making it four podium finishes from six Grands Prix this season and taking him to within six points of the reigning champion in the World Drivers’ Championship.
The three-time race winner's remarkable consistency further increases his chances, too. He has not finished lower than seventh in any of the last 14 races, and his only non-points scoring races since the start of last season came courtesy of two retirements and one disqualification.
Emilia Romagna has not been a happy hunting ground for Russell in the past, but he can claim a podium position this time around.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change