The Frenchman beat George Russell by just 0.060 seconds after the Mercedes driver had shown impressive pace throughout Friday’s practice sessions. The Briton appeared to have one of the best opportunities to claim the top spot, but Gasly delivered when it mattered most.
Italian GP Starting Grid: Pierre Gasly Stuns With Pole Position
Pierre Gasly once again turned Monza into a special place in his career. The French driver stunned the favorites and secured the first pole position of his Formula 1 career, putting Alpine at the front for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix.
Monza once again arrives at an important moment in the Frenchman’s career. It was at this very circuit where he claimed his first and, so far, only Formula 1 victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. Six years later, he will have another opportunity to fight for the win from a privileged position.
Gasly Defies the Odds at Monza
Alpine’s performance was not simply the result of one perfect lap in Q3. Gasly showed speed from the opening stages of qualifying and remained among the most competitive drivers all the way through to the decisive moments.
Russell entered qualifying as one of the drivers to watch after finishing first in Friday’s second practice session with a time of 1:22.559, ahead of Charles Leclerc and his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli.
However, when it was time to fight for pole, Gasly managed to find the final few thousandths he needed to put Alpine at the top of the timesheets.
It was also a strong Saturday for the French team thanks to Franco Colapinto. The Argentine advanced to Q3 and finished eighth in qualifying.
Ferrari Stay Close as Piastri Emerges Among the Favorites
Behind Gasly and Russell is Oscar Piastri, who put his McLaren third in qualifying.
The tifosi also had reasons for optimism. Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth, putting both Ferrari cars immediately behind the top three.
Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, finished sixth, while Kimi Antonelli recorded the seventh-fastest time.
However, the Italian’s situation is different. Antonelli already knew before qualifying that he would have to start from the back due to changes to his power unit. For that reason, the order from Saturday does not yet represent the definitive starting grid for the race.
Top 10 From Qualifying for the 2026 Italian GP
- Pierre Gasly — Alpine
- George Russell — Mercedes
- Oscar Piastri — McLaren
- Charles Leclerc — Ferrari
- Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari
- Max Verstappen — Red Bull
- Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes
- Franco Colapinto — Alpine
- Lando Norris — McLaren
- Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls
This is the Top 10 based on the results on track during qualifying. Antonelli’s position will change for the race because of his penalty, meaning there will be changes to the final starting grid.
Gasly Has Another Golden Opportunity at Monza
Pole position gives Gasly an opportunity few would have predicted before the start of the weekend.
The Frenchman knows exactly what it means to win at Monza. In 2020, he produced one of the biggest surprises in recent Formula 1 history by claiming his first victory at this circuit.
This time, he will have Russell immediately behind him, Piastri waiting for any opportunity and both Ferrari drivers looking to deliver a victory for the tifosi.
But there is one major difference: Gasly will be the man leading the field when the lights go out at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
