Pierre Gasly surprisingly takes pole position at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza

Even the Monza declaration of love in Italian came very easily from Pierre Gasly's lips. Completely surprisingly, the French Alpine racer grabbed the best starting position for the first time in his Formula 1 career and outdid the astonished competition before the Italian Grand Prix. Six years after his sensational debut victory in the Royal Park, Gasly was able to end the long wait for a pole position. «That was fantastic. “I felt incredible in the car from the first lap,” said the 30-year-old.

The favored Mercedes driver George Russell came in second and had to congratulate Gasly on his coup after he had already lost a chess game against him shortly before qualifying. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri came third. World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli drove his Silver Arrow to seventh place, but had to start from the back of the field on Sunday (3 p.m./Sky) due to an irregular engine change.

The day was sobering for the Ferraristi. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton only managed fourth and fifth place. The second round had already turned out to be a tough game for them, and the two of them managed to make it into the top ten. Thanks to just a thousandth of a second lead, Hamilton avoided elimination. On the other hand, Audi driver Nico Hülkenberg once again called it a day early in 13th place.

A slap in the neck from the sports judges

Man of the day was clearly Gasly. And that just one day after the sports judges gave the Alpine driver the trophy for third place three months after the Monaco race. The appeal judges ruled that the time penalties for speeding violations in the pit lane were legal. Gasly turned his frustration into his best career performance in qualifying. “This is a special place for me,” he said.

The Italian fans had imagined it completely differently. They hardly know what to do with their passion this year. As always, the love for Ferrari is particularly strong in Monza. Red is the dominant color. But this time many Tifosi are also keeping their fingers crossed for Antonelli, who will be the first Italian since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to appear as World Cup leader in Monza.

Hamilton feels the pressure

The 20-year-old has already had to comment on speculation that his future could lie with the Scuderia. In Monza, Antonelli dutifully acknowledged his employer Mercedes, which has supported him since childhood. “I feel like I have so much to give them. And if I'm consistently happy with them, I'll probably spend my entire career with them. “Let’s see,” Antonelli said.

The young star took the grid penalty at his home race in a relaxed manner. “I definitely want to get into the car with as few thoughts as possible in my head, just be completely free and enjoy the journey and the weekend,” explained Antonelli.

The Ferrari duo feels significantly more pressure. Hamilton in particular is longing for his first victory in red at Monza and was already immersed in the emotions surrounding the Autodromo Nazionale in the days before the Grand Prix. “The thought that if I could do that, I would probably be the only black driver to ever do it for Ferrari in Italy, maybe even in all of history. Many such thoughts have crossed my mind. Yes, the pressure is high and of course you want to deliver for the team,” said the 41-year-old. When it came to hunting for a starting position, this didn't work out as hoped.