Pierre Gasly produced a remarkable qualifying performance to claim pole position for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, securing the first pole position of his Formula 1 career.
The Alpine driver was impressive throughout the session, topping the timesheets in Q1 before delivering a spectacular final lap to beat the field. Monza holds special significance for Gasly, as it was the venue of his only F1 victory in 2020.
His pole comes just one day after an FIA appeals panel overturned his Monaco podium result, making the achievement even more significant for the Frenchman and Alpine.
George Russell came closest to Gasly, finishing just 0.060 seconds behind to take second place for Mercedes. Oscar Piastri secured third for McLaren, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completed the top five.
Max Verstappen qualified sixth, ahead of Kimi Antonelli in seventh. However, Antonelli’s 30-place grid penalty means he will drop to the back of the field for Sunday’s race.
Franco Colapinto gave Alpine an excellent qualifying result by taking eighth, while championship contender Lando Norris could only manage the ninth-fastest time. Norris will nevertheless start from eighth after Antonelli’s penalty is applied.
Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top 10 for Racing Bulls.
Further down the order, Aston Martin struggled badly at Monza’s high-speed, power-sensitive circuit. Fernando Alonso qualified 21st, with Lance Stroll 22nd.
The Cadillac drivers also endured a difficult session, with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas finishing in the lower reaches of the standings. Alex Albon was eliminated after qualifying 20th and faces a further 20-place grid penalty, while Yuki Tsunoda was also knocked out.
Italian Grand Prix Qualifying Results
- Pierre Gasly — Alpine — 1:21.786
- George Russell — Mercedes — +0.060s
- Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +0.180s
- Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.218s
- Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +0.225s
- Max Verstappen — Red Bull — +0.284s
- Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +0.307s
- Franco Colapinto — Alpine — +0.434s
- Lando Norris — McLaren — +0.470s
- Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls — +0.500s
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