Alpine’s Pierre Gasly secured his first pole position during the qualifying round of the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday, displaying exceptional performance that even surprised himself as he was informed over the team radio immediately after the session.
Expressing excitement, Gasly exclaimed, “Let’s go! Been waiting for that one!” This achievement comes after his sole Formula 1 victory at Monza in 2020. Gasly’s strong performance throughout the session placed him O.060 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell, with Oscar Piastri securing the third spot.
Reflecting on his accomplishment, Gasly shared, “In the end, it felt like a very good lap but I am so happy. It has been nine years, trying to chase and get the opportunity to get pole position. To win my first race in Monza, get my first pole position on this track, it is something special around here.”
However, Piastri might face a grid penalty as stewards are investigating whether he impeded Red Bull’s Liam Lawson during Q2. Ferrari experienced a scare at their home race as Lewis Hamilton narrowly made it into Q3 by a mere one thousandth of a second, positioning himself in fifth for Sunday’s race, just behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen secured the sixth spot, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh-fastest. However, due to a planned engine change, Antonelli will start at the back of the grid. Franco Colapinto moves up to seventh, with defending champion Lando Norris, Arvid Lindblad, and Gabriel Bortoleto completing the top 10 on the grid.
Antonelli, aiming to become F1’s youngest champion, leads Russell and Hamilton by 59 points, with Norris trailing 24 points behind.
