Pierre Gasly delivered one of the standout shocks of the 2026 Formula 1 season, claiming his first-ever pole position at the Italian Grand Prix in a dramatic qualifying session at Monza on Saturday.
A Late Charge To The Top
The Alpine driver posted a stunning lap of 1 minute 21.786 seconds on his final Q3 run, edging out Mercedes' George Russell by just six hundredths of a second and relegating McLaren's Oscar Piastri to third. Ferrari's home crowd was left disappointed as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could only manage fourth and fifth, while Max Verstappen qualified sixth for Red Bull.
Ending A Nine-Year Wait
Gasly, who claimed his maiden F1 race win at the very same Monza circuit back in 2020, said the pole capped off nine years of chasing the achievement since his debut in 2017. He credited a strategic slipstream from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton on his final lap for helping him leapfrog the frontrunners in the closing moments of the session.
A Historic Result For France And Alpine
The result makes Gasly the first French driver to take an F1 pole position since Jean Alesi achieved the feat at the very same track back in 1997, and it marks Alpine's first pole since the team's Enstone factory last managed it with Fernando Alonso at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Gasly arrived at Monza under a cloud after the FIA's International Court of Appeal reinstated penalties from his Monaco Grand Prix that had cost him a podium finish.
Eyes On Sunday's Race
Gasly will start Sunday's race from pole alongside Russell on the front row, aiming to convert his qualifying heroics into a race win six years after his breakthrough victory at the same circuit. Asked how he plans to hold onto the lead, Gasly said his focus would simply be on driving cleanly and making the most of the opportunity in front of him.