Pierre Gasly has claimed the first pole position of his Formula 1 career, producing a sensational final lap at Monza to put Alpine at the front of the grid for the Italian Grand Prix.
Gasly posted a 1:21.786 in the final moments of Q3, edging Mercedes’ George Russell by just 0.060 seconds. Oscar Piastri was third fastest in the McLaren, a further 0.180 seconds behind Gasly.
The result is a major milestone for Gasly, who had never previously started an F1 race from pole. It is also particularly significant because Monza is where he claimed his first and only Grand Prix victory in 2020 with AlphaTauri.
Gasly showed strong pace from the beginning of qualifying, topping Q1 with a 1:22.612. He remained among the leading drivers through the session before producing his decisive lap in Q3.
Russell had held provisional pole after the first Q3 runs, but Gasly found the extra pace when it mattered. His final lap moved him ahead of the Mercedes and McLaren drivers and gave Alpine a surprise front-row start.
Behind the top three, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth, while Max Verstappen was sixth for Red Bull.
There was also a twist to the starting grid. Piastri received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Liam Lawson during qualifying, meaning he will start Sunday’s race from sixth rather than third. Kimi Antonelli, Alexander Albon and Lawson also face grid penalties for power-unit changes.
For Gasly, however, the focus is firmly on the opportunity ahead.
Six years after winning at Monza, the Frenchman will start from pole at the same circuit. Now he has the chance to turn a remarkable qualifying performance into another memorable Italian Grand Prix result.
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