Emilia-Romagna GP weather: ideal conditions at Imola to kick off European triple header
After travelling through Australia, Asia, the Middle East and most recently North America, Formula 1 returns to the heart of its history in Europe. It's on Italian soil, at Imola, that this sequence begins with this triple header. As spring wavers between cool temperatures and the first warmth of the Italian sun, what does the Emilia-Romagna sky have in store for this Grand Prix weekend? Here's the full weather forecast.
The first European round of the 2025 season
The first quarter of the Formula 1 season is now behind us. Except for a brief stop in Canada in mid-June, Formula 1 is starting its European campaign, which will extend until the Italian Grand Prix on September 7.
It is at Imola, on the circuit named in tribute to Enzo Ferrari and his son Dino, that this portion of the calendar opens, marked by the most iconic events of the championship. Italy, a true land of Formula 1, has hosted more Grand Prix than any other country: out of a total of 107 races counting towards the world championship, 74 have been held at Monza, 31 at Imola, while Mugello and Pescara have each hosted one.
General situation
The weather in Imola in May is typically spring-like, with minimum temperatures around 13°C and maximum temperatures around 24°C, rarely below 12°C or above 26°C. In May, the amount of rain is about 80 mm, with an average of 7 days of precipitation. The landscape of Emilia-Romagna to the northeast may have a slight influence on the occurrence of showers.
The low-pressure trough (999 hPa) located between Sicily and Greece, which caused precipitation during the night from Thursday to Friday in the Imola region (leaving 20 millimeters of rain), is gradually moving away on Friday morning. The sky remains variable, with more cloudy intervals in the north of the country, but with the approach of the anticyclone located over the British Isles, conditions are expected to improve over the coming days.
Friday, May 16: Free Practice 1 and 2
After a cool and rainy night until dawn, the morning begins with a still very cloudy sky. A clear improvement in atmospheric conditions occurs by mid-morning, with a rapid rise in temperatures.
The northeast wind, light to moderate (10 to 20 km/h), will blow in the afternoon with a completely clear and sunny sky. The northeast wind will strengthen, blowing up to 40 km/h in gusts between 1 PM and 6 PM, when the race cars will be on track. Maximum temperatures will reach 19°C, with the track at 35°C. At the end of the day, the wind will turn southeast and weaken (5 to 10 km/h).
Saturday, May 17: Free Practice 3 and Qualifying
The day is expected to be very pleasant and sunny. A few residual clouds in the early morning will give way to sunny weather in the afternoon. The light southeast wind at the end of the morning will gradually shift to the southwest and strengthen slightly in the second part of the day, with gusts around 15 to 20 km/h.
As for the temperatures, it will be cool with a minimum of 10°C expected early in the morning, but thanks to the sun, the mercury will reach 20°C for the third and final free practice session (12:30 PM) and 22°C for the qualification (4:00 PM). With a track temperature between 38°C and 44°C, these will be ideal weather conditions to fully exploit and inaugurate the new hypersoft tires (C6) introduced this weekend in Imola.
As reported in the article published a few days ago, this new type of tire should allow drivers to achieve faster lap times, and potentially break the circuit record set by Valtteri Bottas in 2020 with a time of 1’13”609.
Softer, faster: C6 tires arrive in Formula 1 at Imola
Sunday, May 18: The race
The weather conditions are expected to be ideal for the race this Sunday, thanks to the presence of anticyclonic pressure over the region. From the early hours of the day, the sky will be completely clear, allowing for a gradual rise in temperatures. A southwesterly wind will settle in steadily, blowing between 10 and 20 km/h, with gusts occasionally reaching 30 km/h, particularly in open areas.
At the time of departure, scheduled for 3 p.m., the sky will remain largely sunny despite the possible presence of a few inconsequential clouds. The atmosphere will remain dry, with a relative humidity level around 50%. The UV index will reach a moderate level of 5.
Regarding temperatures, the air will be around 23°C, while the track asphalt is expected to peak at 38°C. These values should remain generally stable during the 63 laps of the race, without any significant changes in atmospheric conditions.
