Pierre Gasly delivered a remarkable performance to secure his first career Formula 1 pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, just a day after the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated penalties that stripped him of a podium finish at the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Alpine driver described the achievement as one of the biggest shocks in F1 history, noting that it has been nine years since he entered the sport and that fighting for pole is not a regular occurrence. “Today it was the case and, yeah, I’m really, really happy, really proud to have seized this chance and to make it work. It was a heck of a lap,” Gasly said.
The pole position comes shortly after a contentious ruling in June, where appeals from McLaren and Red Bull led to the reapplication of two five-second time penalties for pit lane speeding, demoting Gasly from third to outside the points. Alpine had initially won a review proving the measurement was incorrect, but the final decision reversed that outcome.
Gasly admitted he felt “robbed” following the Monaco verdict, while Alpine chief Flavio Briatore questioned the integrity of the appeals process. The ICA responded on Saturday, expressing confidence in its proceedings. Gasly acknowledged the situation was “not nice” but stated he attempted to channel the controversy into positive motivation.
Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen highlighted the contrast in mood within the team, calling the Monaco result something that would “annoy me for the rest of my life” but praising Gasly’s response with a qualifying lap of exceptional quality.
Russell, who narrowly missed out on pole, congratulated Gasly and revealed the Alpine driver had defeated him in a game of chess just 15 minutes before qualifying. “Huge congrats to him. Pierre and Alpine have been super-fast even from Q1,” Russell said.
Looking ahead to the race, Gasly recalled his sole F1 victory, which also took place at Monza in 2020. He expressed confidence in his ability to win, citing the car’s strong straight-line speed and his familiarity with leading on the high-speed circuit. Meanwhile, Mercedes driver George Russell remains confident in his pace despite starting on the front row behind Gasly.
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