Gasly charges to sensational maiden F1 pole at Monza over Russell and Piastri

Pierre Gasly made history by securing his first-ever Formula 1 pole position at the Italian Grand Prix on the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The French Alpine driver brilliantly beat George Russell (Mercedes) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) in a thrilling qualifying session. Gasly, who won his first race at Monza in 2026, was impressive throughout Saturday's qualifying. The upgraded Mercedes-powered Alpine performed exceptionally well on the high-speed track. After the initial Q3 runs, Gasly was third behind Russell and Piastri. But on his final lap, he shocked the paddock with a time of 1m 21.786s, jumping to the top. Behind him, Ferrari disappointed as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth. Max Verstappen of Red Bull was sixth, while home racer Kimi Antonelli was seventh for Mercedes before taking an engine penalty. Franco Colapinto put Alpine in Q3 with eighth place, ahead of Lando Norris (who struggled with brakes) and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad. Hamilton narrowly avoided Q2 elimination, beating Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) by just one thousandth of a second. Bortoleto will start 11th, alongside Ollie Bearman (Haas) and Nico Hulkenberg. Liam Lawson took an engine penalty and was only 14th after being impeded by Piastri. Yuki Tsunoda struggled to 17th, while Lindblad was fifth. Alexander Albon gave a tow to Sainz and finished 18th, ahead of Cadillac and Aston Martin drivers. This is a major shock for the 2026 season, as Alpine, not considered a top team, took pole at one of the most iconic tracks. Gasly proved that persistence and technical upgrades can make a difference. Sunday's race promises to be exciting.