Pierre Gasly produced a stunning drive to claim his maiden Formula 1 pole position for Alpine at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, marking a significant milestone for the Enstone-based team. Starting alongside him on the front row was Mercedes driver George Russell, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified third and fourth, respectively.
The qualifying session was overshadowed by the misfortune of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was relegated to 18th on the grid due to engine penalties. Despite Ferrari making heavy weather of qualifying and nearly failing to advance past Q2, both of their cars managed to secure places on the second row.
Further grid reshuffling occurred after qualifying concluded. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri received a three-place penalty for impeding Red Bull’s Liam Lawson during Q2, which promoted Leclerc, Hamilton, and Max Verstappen into the top five. Additionally, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Lawson were forced to start from the pit lane due to parc-ferme regulations and engine component changes.
Gasly, reflecting on the historic achievement, told Sky Sports F1 that he felt “amazing” and noted the six-year anniversary of his first Monaco win. “All of the stars have aligned,” he said. “Today is going to be an odd race with the battery… but I feel good and will send it.”
The news came as a delightful surprise for local supporters, including Jeremy Clarkson, whose farm is near Alpine’s factory. Clarkson praised the team’s response following a controversial appeal setback in Monaco. “It was a wonderful day for the team,” remarked Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle. “Gasly just kept nailing in faster and faster laps and took a really well earned and well deserved pole position.”
As the sun shone over the Royal Monza park, attention now turns to the 53-lap race, where Antonelli will attempt a charge through the field from the back rows, while Russell looks to capitalize on the title leader’s lowly starting position.
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