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Will Red Bull's closest challengers fight for victory at Imola?

Ferrari is joining McLaren in bringing extensive upgrades to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, after the latter brought a comprehensive update to Miami - but can either beat Red Bull at Imola?

Piastri Miami race
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McLaren brought an extensive upgrade package to the Miami Grand Prix, but only Lando Norris received the full update.

The 24-year-old used the development to good effect, taking his first grand prix victory at the 110th time of asking. At Imola, team-mate Oscar Piastri will also have the full works, having been running a "half package" in Florida.

Even still, the Australian was able to keep race leader Max Verstappen honest in the early stages.

That step also saw the Woking-based team jump Ferrari in performance behind Red Bull. A number of factors were at play in determining the race result, but McLaren undoubtedly had the pace to pressure the constructors' champions in Miami.

It is now on the Scuderia to respond, and the Italians will be bringing a significant upgrade to Imola, meaning the three leading teams could begin to converge more on overall performance.

The hope is that together, McLaren and Ferrari can take the fight to Red Bull, making the rest of the season a more interesting proposition - even if championships might already be out of reach.

The issue, however, is that Red Bull is also bringing updates to Italy. They will not be as substantial than Ferrari's, or the McLaren package that came before, but it could be enough to keep the challengers at bay.

The constructors' champions face the prospect of increasingly diminishing returns when it comes to the development race, but whether the other two teams can match its current pace remains to be seen.

So, with those factors in mind, the question remains: will Red Bull's closest challengers fight for victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Let us know by voting the in the latest RacingNews365 poll below, or by leaving a comment.

Also interesting:

In the latest episode of the RacingNews365.com podcast, Ian Parkes, Samuel Coop and Nick Golding look ahead at this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The trio discuss last season's cancelled race at Imola, whether McLaren's Miami pace is genuine and if Mercedes teenage sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli will make his debut before he turns 18.

Want to watch the podcast instead of just listening? Check it out here.

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