Gasly claims shock first F1 career pole at Italian GP — SkimNews
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- Pierre Gasly claimed his first F1 career pole at the Italian GP with a lap of 1:21.786, beating Mercedes' George Russell by 0.060s and provisional polesitter Oscar Piastri into third
- The pole came on Gasly's 190th race start, a day after a court ruling stripped him of his Monaco Grand Prix podium finish for a second time, making him an unexpected frontrunner throughout qualifying
- It marks the first pole for the Alpine name and the first for the Renault-owned Enstone team since 2009, echoing Gasly's sole career win — also at Monza, in similarly unlikely circumstances for AlphaTauri six years ago
- Ferrari's home challenge failed to materialize despite an upgraded engine introduction, with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth and Lewis Hamilton making Q3 by just 0.001s before taking fifth
- Championship-leading Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh but will start from the back after engine-change penalties, while reigning champion Lando Norris managed only ninth
- Oscar Piastri faces a post-qualifying stewards' investigation for allegedly blocking Red Bull's Liam Lawson at the end of Q2, though his own pole hopes ended when he locked up and ran straight on at the chicane on his final Q3 lap
Why it matters: Gasly's pole breaks a 16-year drought for the Enstone team and puts an unfancied Alpine on the front row at Monza, while Ferrari's failure to convert home advantage leaves Russell as the closest title contender to challenge on race day — and Antonelli's engine penalty means the championship leader starts from the back.
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