McLaren coming up: 'Don't expect an easy win from Verstappen!'

McLaren seems to have definitely emerged at the head of the field in Formula 1. The British team won the last Grand Prix in Miami with Lando Norris and has high hopes for the upcoming race in Imola. For a renewed win, McLaren will undoubtedly have to deal with Max Verstappen first. The Dutchman will be keen to shine at the Italian circuit this weekend.

Despite how strong McLaren was in Miami, Mika Hakkinen expects Red Bull Racing to still have the upper hand. "Max Verstappen and Checo Perez will be aiming to return Red Bull to the top step of the podium this weekend," said the two-time world champion from Finland at Unibet. "But both Ferrari and McLaren have the potential to produce a surprise."

Ferrari is obviously racing a home race, which could be an advantage for the Italian team. "While their car is not yet consistent enough over a race distance, qualifying could be strong for them, and overtaking is much more difficult in Imola – an old-style, narrow circuit. McLaren is also feeling confident, fresh from that win in Miami. Don’t forget Oscar was super quick there as well, even though Lando ultimately took the win."

So all in all, Hakkinen's conclusion is: Verstappen might well win, but, "Don’t bet on Max cruising to an easy win!", says the Finn, who nowadays acts above all as an analyst.