Alpine’s Gasly takes first F1 pole at Monza ahead of Russell

Pierre Gasly waited nine years for a Formula One pole, then found it at the circuit that already holds his most significant victory. The Alpine driver produced a stunning final lap at Monza to beat Mercedes title contender George Russell by 0.060 seconds.

Gasly’s time of 1 minute 21.786 seconds gave him the first pole of his career in his 190th start. He had already shown Alpine’s pace by leading the first qualifying session and finishing fourth in the second. His mechanics erupted in celebration when the result was confirmed, one day after Gasly had been stripped of third place at last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.

“It’s been nine years trying to chase the opportunity to get a pole,” Gasly said. “I won my first race in Monza and got my first pole at this track. It’s something special around here.”

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It’s been nine years trying to chase the opportunity to get a pole. I won my first race in Monza and got my first pole at this track. It’s something special around here.

Russell, who had held provisional pole after the first flying laps, praised the Frenchman’s performance. “We were finishing a game of chess about 15 minutes before qualifying and he beat me there and I went ‘well, I think I will beat you in qualifying’ and here we are, he’s ahead of me again,” he said.

The starting grid changed after qualifying. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri initially qualified third, but a three-place drop for impeding Red Bull’s Liam Lawson moved him to sixth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton therefore occupy the second row, with Max Verstappen fifth. Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh but will start at the back because of engine penalties, promoting Alpine’s Franco Colapinto to seventh. Lando Norris starts eighth.

Monza’s high-speed layout offers slipstreaming and overtaking opportunities, leaving the central question of how long Gasly can keep Russell and the other leading cars behind him. Russell has a major chance to reduce Antonelli’s 59-point championship advantage, while Antonelli supplied Russell with a tow in qualifying despite facing his own difficult starting position.

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We were finishing a game of chess about 15 minutes before qualifying and he beat me there and I went ‘well, I think I will beat you in qualifying’ and here we are, he’s ahead of me again.