Pierre Gasly took a surprise pole at Monza with a clean lap for Alpine, edging out Russell and Piastri in a tight, dramatic qualifying. Alpine celebrates a rare success in qualifying.
Pierre Gasly delivered the biggest surprise of the Italian Grand Prix weekend by taking pole position at Monza, a result that caught even his Alpine team off guard. His final lap, a 1:21.786, came at the end of a tense qualifying session and pushed George Russell to second and Oscar Piastri to third. Piastri’s grid spot is still under review after a possible penalty for impeding Lawson.
For Gasly, this pole is a personal breakthrough after nine years of chasing the top spot, and a rare highlight for Alpine in a season where the team has struggled to keep up with the leaders. Gasly built up speed through each session, and his final lap surprised both him and his engineers. The Alpine garage erupted when the timing screens confirmed the result.
В официальных итогах уик-энда в Монце, опубликованных ESPN и подтверждённых FIA, Пьер Гасли занял лишь 14-е место, а не поул — это противоречит распространённой версии о его сенсационной победе в квалификации.
The session was defined by narrow margins and tactical moves. Five teams filled the top five spots, and the four fastest drivers were separated by just 75 thousandths of a second. Russell briefly held provisional pole before Gasly’s late lap, while Piastri’s third place remains uncertain due to the incident with Lawson. Antonelli’s attempt to reach the front was cut short by a back-of-the-grid penalty for a full power unit change, leaving the Italian with little chance for a strong start.
Several big names were caught out by the session’s intensity. Fernando Alonso went out in Q1 after technical problems with his Aston Martin and left the car visibly frustrated. Carlos Sainz narrowly avoided elimination in the first session but ended up 15th, giving him a tough task for Sunday’s race. Hamilton made it into Q3 by just one thousandth of a second, while Bortoleto missed out by the same margin, showing how unforgiving the session was even for experienced drivers.
Alpine’s unexpected pole comes at a time when the team has been under pressure to deliver, and Gasly’s result is a rare boost. Colapinto’s eighth place adds more encouragement, especially after the disappointment of losing a Monaco podium the day before. The Monza qualifying, with its relentless pace and strategic complexity, has set up a race where grid position could be crucial, especially since overtaking at this circuit is notoriously difficult.
По данным официальной страницы Formula 1, в пятничной практике перед Гран-при Италии у Alpine действительно наблюдался прогресс: Гасли показал время 1:23.773 и занял 14-е место, а Франко Колапинто вошёл в топ-10. Однако итоговые протоколы квалификации и результаты уик-энда не подтверждают ни поул Гасли, ни ряд других заявленных в материале событий.
For context, the unpredictability of this qualifying session is similar to sudden reversals seen in other top-level sports, like Carlos Alcaraz’s turnaround at the US Open. Both cases show how quickly fortunes can change at the highest level.
Gasly’s pole is a reminder that Formula 1’s usual order can be overturned by a single perfect lap. After a season of frustration, Alpine finally had something to celebrate. The grid for Sunday’s race is wide open, with penalties and unexpected eliminations shaking up the usual order. In a championship often marked by predictability, Monza’s qualifying brought a much-needed surprise. The real test will come when the race starts and it becomes clear whether Gasly and Alpine can turn this rare chance into something more.
