Pierre Gasly produced one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 Formula 1 season by snatching a sensational pole position for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, beating George Russell in a dramatic qualifying session.
The Alpine driver delivered when it mattered most, setting a stunning lap to beat Russell by just six hundredths of a second. Gasly’s pole came as a major shock after Mercedes and Ferrari had looked like the teams to beat throughout the practice sessions.
Russell, who had topped both FP2 and FP3, looked set to continue his strong Monza form and take pole. However, Gasly found the pace on his final run to deny the Mercedes driver at the last moment.
Oscar Piastri initially qualified third for McLaren, with Charles Leclerc taking fourth in front of Ferrari’s home supporters. Lewis Hamilton completed the top five, giving Ferrari both cars a strong starting position for Sunday’s race, while Max Verstappen qualified sixth for Red Bull.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh but will start from the back of the grid due to engine penalties, turning his home Italian Grand Prix into a major recovery challenge. Lando Norris could only manage ninth after a difficult qualifying session, leaving the McLaren driver with work to do on race day.
Gasly’s pole position is a huge moment for Alpine and gives the French driver a golden opportunity to fight for a remarkable result at the Temple of Speed.
After Mercedes topped much of the weekend and Ferrari looked strong in front of the Tifosi, few would have expected Gasly and Alpine to emerge on top. But when the final laps of qualifying arrived, Gasly delivered one of the laps of the season.
Pierre Gasly will lead the field away at Monza, with Russell alongside him and the Italian Grand Prix wide open behind them.
