Pierre Gasly takes pole position for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Pierre Gasly's romance with the Monza circuit continues. The Frenchman has just added another very good line to his list of achievements. On Alpine, to everyone's surprise, he took pole position for the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix on Saturday by setting the best time in qualifying.

It was already on the legendary Italian track that Gasly, who lives in Milan, just a few minutes away, had won his only victory in Formula 1 in 2020. Another feat for him in French motor sports: The last pole position won by a Frenchman in Formula 1 dated back to 1997 and was achieved by Jean Alesi (Benetton), already in the “Temple of Speed”.

George Russell second, Oscar Piastri third

“It’s fantastic, qualifying was incredible. From the start I felt very good in the car and I really did a very good lap. I had been trying to get pole for nine years. It’s an incredible feeling, I’m extremely happy,” said the 30-year-old from Normandy. “I won my first race at Monza and now I get my first pole position here, there is really something special here,” added the Frenchman.

Gasly beat the big qualifying favorite, the Briton George Russell (Mercedes), and the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) by respectively 60 and 180 thousandths of a second. Well helped by his Argentinian teammate Franco Colapinto (Alpine), who gave him a precious aspiration, the Frenchman produced a perfect lap to defy all predictions. He had already set the best time in Q1, the first part of qualifying, then the fourth time in Q2, before snatching pole position in Q3.

Antonelli sanctioned

Alpine, losing momentum before the summer break, got back on track in the Netherlands two weeks ago, and continued its momentum in Monza, like Colapinto's seventh position on the grid.

Even if he starts in the lead, Gasly will however have difficulty containing the more efficient single-seaters from Mercedes, McLaren or Ferrari this Sunday during the Grand Prix.

Our articles on F1

On the starting line, the Ferraris of Monegasque Charles Leclerc and seven-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton will settle for fourth and fifth places. Dutch quadruple world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will start sixth. The Italian Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), leader of the world championship with 59 lengths ahead of Russell and Hamilton, set the seventh time but will start in 20th position, penalized by the FIA ​​for having notably changed engine before the Italian meeting.