Graphics by Dyric Espinosa

Pierre Gasly stunned the field by taking his first Formula 1 pole position, edging George Russell and Oscar Piastri in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy, Saturday, September 5.

Gasly showed his pace from Q1, posting a 1:22.612 to briefly move ahead of Max Verstappen and his Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto.

The Frenchman carried that speed into Q2, where Kimi Antonelli topped the session with a 1:21.882 while Gasly finished among the front-runners to secure his place in the final shootout.

Meanwhile, Russell looked set for pole after using a tow from Antonelli to clock a provisional 1:21.929 on his opening Q3 run.

Piastri also stayed in contention, sitting ahead of Gasly after the first Q3 runs as the McLaren driver chased another strong qualifying result.

However, Gasly found more time on his final attempt while the leading drivers struggled to improve their laps.

The Alpine driver crossed the line in 1:21.786, jumping ahead of Russell by 0.060 seconds and Piastri by 0.180 seconds to snatch pole.

Behind the top three, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton placed fourth and fifth for Ferrari, while Verstappen took sixth for Red Bull.

Antonelli initially qualified seventh, but his grid penalty will affect his starting position for Sunday’s race, moving the drivers behind him forward.

Further down the order, Colapinto put the second Alpine into eighth, while Lando Norris and Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10 in qualifying.

Gasly’s result also marked Alpine’s first pole position, giving the team its first top starting spot since its predecessor Renault last achieved the feat 17 years ago.

Gasly will now lead the field into Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, with the race scheduled to start at 3 PM local time as he looks to convert his maiden pole into another Monza victory.

Article by Mary Fiona Rubenecia