Gasly stuns at Monza again with first-ever pole

Pierre Gasly delivered the shock of the season by taking the first pole position of his career for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.

His improbable triumph happened a day after his Alpine teammate Flavio Briatore accused an FIA official of maintaining a “working relationship” with McLaren after the British boss’s appeal resulted in Gasly losing his podium finish at the June Monaco Grand Prix.

George Russell, widely regarded as the candidate to claim a vital pole in his championship bid, had to make peace with second place, edging past Gasly by merely 0.060 seconds.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri snagged third places, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton retired from the front four to finish fourth and fifth for Ferrari.

Championship leader Kimi Antonielli recorded a seventh‑place finish but will start his home race from the back of the grid after being handed an engine penalty.

World champion Lando Norris arrived at Italy with consecutive titles in his pocket yet is unlikely to be crowned the champion after managing only ninth overall.

Given Antonelli’s back‑position opener, Russell sensed an opportunity to erode Renault’s two‑way‑point advantage into the title battle.

The Englishdriver now faces the towering challenge of denying Gasly a full point haul, a fight that could decide the title race as eleven more races pending.

Hamilton reflected on his ambition to crown himself at Monza—a record sixth victory attempt—which would also mark Ferrari’s inaugural home win.

In contrast, the Ferrari team grappled throughout the race weekend despite hosting the event, ultimately posting modest results.

At one stage, Hamilton’s Q3 performance proved precarious, settling for the tenth quickest lap behind audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who appeared poised to discard him from contention.

Yet less than a thousandth of a second later, Hamilton rallied and slipped to ninth, nearly eight‑tenths off Gasly’s pace, though he gradually pulled ahead of the field – 0.225 seconds behind his compatriot.

Red Bull’s campaign suffered further when Max Verstappen called his car “broken” and “unrideable,” sitting third and just barely off the leaders, while teammate Liam Lawson was ousted early in qualifying and accused of being left “out to dry.”

Gasly, however, thrived on the track, capitalising fully on his Alpine car’s strengths.

“I’ve been waiting for that moment,” Gasly exclaimed over the radio, recalling his sole career victory at Monza six seasons prior, adding that this win will give him his second career podium, this time for Alpine.

Fernando Alonso failed to translate last year’s optimism, ranking ninth at the recent round and finishing twenty‑first at this event.

Williams struggled, with Alex Albon eliminated in the disqualification round and Charles Sainz navigating a tight exit to secure a respectable sixteenth finish.

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