Gasly shocks with maiden pole at Monza, Alpine upset Mercedes

Monza, Italy – Pierre Gasly of Alpine produced one of the biggest surprises of the season by securing his maiden F1 pole position at the Monza Grand Prix, stunning the paddock and fans. With an impressive lap time of 1 minute 21.786 seconds, Gasly beat George Russell of Mercedes by 0.143 seconds. Notably, the top four qualifiers were separated by just 0.07 seconds, highlighting the intense competitiveness at this high-speed circuit. Oscar Piastri of McLaren qualified third, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari fourth. Lewis Hamilton was fifth, while Lando Norris managed only ninth. Meanwhile, championship leader Kimi Antonelli was set to start seventh after a grid penalty for taking a new engine, despite setting the fastest time in Q1. This pole was the first for both Gasly and Alpine since the French team returned as a works outfit. The achievement is all the more significant given Alpine’s difficult season, currently sixth in the constructors’ standings. However, converting pole to victory will be a monumental challenge for Gasly. “It is a huge task to turn pole into a win against a very strong Mercedes,” pundits noted. Mercedes displayed impressive pace at Monza, using slipstream tactics to help Russell. Off track, the race weekend also saw controversy involving Flavio Briatore, a figure linked to Alpine, who accused judges of the FIA International Court of Appeal of bias toward McLaren. The court rejected the allegations, emphasizing proper procedures were followed. McLaren’s team principal called the claims “insulting.” With Gasly starting from the front, fans can hope for a thrilling race, though the task remains daunting. Can Gasly repeat his 2026 victory at Monza? The answer comes in Sunday’s race.