Gasly takes surprise Monza pole ahead of Russell

Pierre Gasly produced one of Formula One’s biggest surprises of the season by taking pole position for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The Alpine driver edged George Russell’s Mercedes by 0.060 seconds in a tense qualifying session. Gasly will start first at 3 p.m. local time, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who qualified seventh, must begin from the back because of an unauthorized engine change.

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This is incredible! I like this track!

“This is incredible! I like this track,” Gasly told his team over the radio after securing the first pole position of his career. “I’ve been chasing this pole for nine years.” Six years ago, he won his only Grand Prix at Monza, driving for AlphaTauri at the time. Gasly, who lives near Milan, said the result was especially meaningful on the anniversary of Jochen Rindt’s death after the 1970 crash at Monza.

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I’ve been chasing this pole for nine years.

Russell congratulated Gasly after the session. The Mercedes driver said the two had finished a game of chess 15 minutes before qualifying and joked that he had told Gasly he would beat him on track. “And now we’re here. Now he has checkmated me again,” Russell said.

Oscar Piastri qualified third, ahead of Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Their positions disappointed Ferrari’s home supporters after both drivers narrowly avoided elimination in the second qualifying segment. Max Verstappen will start sixth, Lando Norris ninth and Liam Lawson 14th. Antonelli has 53 laps to limit the damage to his championship lead at Monza, a high-speed circuit that offers overtaking opportunities.

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And now we’re here. Now he has checkmated me again.