Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Underdog Fantasy Picks 2025
The Formula 1 season continues this week with the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. This race is set for 63 laps around the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola). At just under three miles (4.909 km), this course features only one DRS zone, and 19 corners. Drivers have raced here since 1980. However, they took an extended break between 2006 and 2020. So these Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Underdog Fantasy Picks 2025 have very little history to draw from for a majority of the grid.
This week’s picks will focus on a couple of drivers who need a solid finish to try and turn around their disappointing seasons. One of them has not lived up to the high expectations for the season set by his team and himself. The other also needs to prove to his new team that he can get the job done..
To play Underdog Fantasy, all you need to do is choose whether a driver will finish better than or worse than their projected finishing positions. It’s as simple as that. The more selections you make, the higher your multiplier will get, increasing the amount of money you stand to win.
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Underdog Fantasy Picks 2025
Lewis Hamilton Better Than 6.5
It’s no secret that Lewis Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes was frustrating. However, that is nothing compared to the pressure the seven-time Formula 1 champion is feeling at Ferrari this year. The British driver has an average finish of 9.3 under the Prancing Horse banner. He’s only managed to finish inside of the top 6 once this season. He did earn a sprint win in Shanghai and managed to finish sixth in the Chinese Grand Prix the following day. Although, a disqualification stripped him of that finish which sent him back to 19th place officially.
All those frustrations can be wiped away on a track on which Hamiton has had some level of success. He stood on the top step of the podium in 2020 when the race returned to Imola. The following year he crossed the finish line in second place. Overall, three of his four races on this track have resulted in a finish of sixth place or better.
Jubilation as @LewisHamilton crosses the line to win at Imola 🏁
And a 1-2 clinches a seventh straight constructor title for @MercedesAMGF1 🎧 🥳#ImolaGP 🇮🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/7Y0Fs2K97R
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 1, 2020
As a source of pride, the veteran has watched his rookie replacement at Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli. finish better than him on several occasions this season. You have to think he’s due to get the best of him at some point. This is as good a week as any to get that done.
Carlos Sainz Better Than 8.5
There is no denying that the Williams experiment hasn’t gotten off on the best foot for Carlos Sainz. The former Ferrari driver has a 13th place average finish this season. However, the Spaniard is coming off back-to-back points finishes, so there’s some hope for improvement. He’s been able to qualify 8th or better for three straight races this year. If he does it again this week, he’s in a great situation to hold on to that spot.
Sainz has made four career starts on this track and has finished in 8th place or better in three of them. In 2022, he rolled off the grid from the fourth position. Unfortunately, he and Daniel Ricciardo got into each other heading into turn 1 sending Sainz into the gravel and ending his day.
The wet weather provided instant drama at Imola last year 🍿
Much to the disappointment of Carlos Sainz 😫#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/sAdanleTll
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 14, 2023
If he’s able to pull it off, Sainz will be the first Williams driver to finish in the points at Imola since F1’s 2020 return to the course. We know he has the talent, the question is whether or not he can get his equipment to follow.
