Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Prediction, Picks, and F1 Prop Bets May 18: Verstappen Has a Shrewd Line

McLaren continues to color the 2025 F1 season papaya. The Formula 1 title odds are likely down to the teammates: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. They are also the likely winners at the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. But we’ll look beyond the title favorites and find some valuable betting lines beginning with the four-time defending champion.

Listen to that roar!

Max Verstappen is on POLE#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/s8LtjOWFms

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 5, 2025

Top 3 Emilia Romagna GP F1 Bets

1. Back Verstappen to Seize Pole Again (+350)

Winning pole position is a tall task. But doing it three straight times? Color us skeptical, though we can’t just walk past the +350 motorsport betting line on Max Verstappen. The Red Bull man has finished first in qualifying in three of the last four races. While his team has been behind McLaren in race trim, it can still deliver on Saturday.

Qualifying favors the best drivers when it comes to timing and precision. You see plenty of race-winning drivers like Norris and Charles Leclerc struggle here. This was the bane of Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s old teammate. But Verstappen has proven just why he’s already a legend in the sport and we’ll gladly use his pole position line as our Formula 1 pick.

Bet Pole Position – Max Verstappen (+350)

Four podiums in 6 races for George! 👏

Mr Consistency 👌 pic.twitter.com/RRfrfWEeN0

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 13, 2025

2. Mercedes Excellently Stays Steady, Both Cars Top 6 Finish (-120)

Not lost in the motorsports news is how well Mercedes has raced. George Russell has finished on the podium four times out of six races and has finished no worse than fifth. Meanwhile, rookie Kimi Antonelli has had four top-six finishes. That’s a double top-six finish for Mercedes every two out of three races.

While the F1 race odds are not ideal, it’s worth betting, seeing how consistent Mercedes has been. Ferrari will need to bounce back, though we can’t ignore how awful its strategizing is. Even with an upgrade, Ferrari could still be the fourth-best team and well behind Mercedes. Barring a retirement, expect to see Russell and Antonelli in the top six again.

Bet on Both Cars Top 6 Finish – Mercedes (-120)

3. Isack Hadjar Points Finish (+175)

If you’re hunting for more enticing odds, look no further than Red Bull’s supporting cast. We’re talking about Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s shoe-horned teammate, and Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls. Tsunoda has now finished with a point in two of his last three races. With an upgrade package, he should continue the trend.

However, we’re not digging the -250 line on Tsunoda. We may as well bet a double points finish for Red Bull at -225. And yet, we’d stake our motorsports expert pick on Hadjar to finish in the top 10 at +175. He has just as many point finishes as Tsunoda, and Imola should suit the Racing Bulls’ set-up better than Miami did. He may be the best midfield driver of this race.

Bet on Points Finish – Isack Hadhar (+175)

F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix How to Watch

• Race: Formula 1 AWS Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna 2025
• Day/Time: Sunday, May 18, 9:00 a.m. ET
• Location: Autodrom Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Live Stream: Fubo TV

Question of the Day

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.