Gasly Stuns With Monza Pole Over Russell — SkimNews
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- Pierre Gasly claimed pole position at Monza in what the source calls "the biggest surprise pole position in Formula 1 for years," with Mercedes' George Russell lining up second.
- Gasly was playing — and winning — an online chess match against Russell about 15 minutes before qualifying began; Russell laughed afterwards that Gasly "beat me there" before also beating him on track.
- Alpine's pole was earned on merit, the source stresses, citing the car's low-downforce aerodynamic design, Mercedes engine power, and an upgrade package introduced at the Netherlands — a contrast to Gasly's luck-assisted 2020 Monza win with Toro Rosso.
- Alpine's de facto team boss Flavio Briatore sparked a separate controversy on Friday by alleging an FIA appeal judge had "links" with McLaren, based on a 2018 California charity event; the FIA court formally refuted the claim, and McLaren's Andrea Stella called it "insulting."
- Russell enters Sunday's race 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who is set to start 20th due to a grid penalty for exceeding his engine allowance — a golden opportunity for Russell to claw back ground.
- Ferrari fumbled qualifying for the third consecutive race after Charles Leclerc left the pits while Lewis Hamilton's car still had no wheels fitted, robbing Hamilton of an optimal slipstream; they will line up third and fourth.
Why it matters: Gasly's pole combined with Antonelli's 20th-place grid penalty gives Russell a real shot at cutting a 59-point championship deficit on Sunday, while Antonelli and Hamilton — also 59 points back — try to recover from the back of the grid. For Alpine, the result caps a remarkable 48-hour swing from losing a Monaco podium through the FIA court of appeal (and Briatore's unsubstantiated attack on a judge) to their most unexpected pole in years, validating the switch to Mercedes engines.
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