Piastri: I've got good momentum behind me

Piastri has taken over as McLaren's driver best placed to fight for the championship, a role Lando Norris has been tipped for ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

However, the Briton has apparently succumbed to the pressure of expectations and has only managed to win once at the season opener in Melbourne while being prone to mistakes in the heat of the battle, while Piastri has kept a cool head and now leads his teammate by 16 points in the drivers' championship.

On the back of his latest win in Miami, Piastri plans to pick up from where he left off and said in McLaren's preview of the race at Imola: "I go to Imola with a lot of positivity and confidence as well as the determination to keep pushing.

"It's an old-school track with iconic corners like Acque Minerali and Piratella, and I'm excited to drive it in the MCL39.

"I've got good momentum behind me, and I'm extremely focused heading into this first race of the European swing of the season," the championship leader, who finished fourth at Imola last year, concluded.

Norris, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back—having failed to do so in the Miami Grand Prix—before Piastri's lead grows, especially as Max Verstappen will be expected to crash the McLaren party every weekend.

Norris said: "I'm excited to go to Imola and kick off the European leg of the season. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is an enjoyable one, so I'm looking forward to it.

"It was great to head back to the MTC to see the team and celebrate our success from Miami but also to continue our preparations for this busy triple-header. The car's been great, and I'm ready for what's to come."

McLaren have shown, after the first six races of the season, that they have the best car on the grid, which comes into its element when conditions are hot.

However, while Imola should be a strong track for McLaren, their team principal, Andrea Stella, is wary of the challenges the historic Formula 1 track poses.

He commented: "After a very successful weekend for the team in Miami, we now head to Imola for the start of the triple-header and our first European race of the season.

"The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is always a great event, and the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is a challenging and historic circuit which often provides exciting racing.

"The combination of fast and slow corners makes it demanding for the drivers and engineers alike.

"It has been a busy and strong start to the season; I would like to once again thank the entire team for their continued hard work. We look forward to racing again in Imola," the Italian concluded.

McLaren lead the 2025 Formula 1 constructors' championship over Mercedes by 105 points.