Italian Grand Prix qualifying at Monza: Max Verstappen takes pole over Lando Norris as Ferrari fade late
F1 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying Results at Monza
MONZA, Italy — In a thrilling F1 Italian Grand Prix qualifying session at Monza, Max Verstappen delivered in the clutch, snatching pole position from Lando Norris with a searing 1:18.792 on his final Q3 lap as Ferrari’s challenge ebbed at the decisive moment of Italian Grand Prix qualifying. The Red Bull star’s pole lap capped a tense showdown in low-downforce trim at the Temple of Speed.
Front Row Battle: Verstappen vs Norris
Norris had briefly seized provisional pole with his last run, only for Verstappen to edge him by the narrowest of margins in the closing seconds of Q3. Oscar Piastri will start third, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth after failing to improve when it mattered, 0.215s off Verstappen having been within a tenth after the first Q3 runs. The front rows set the stage for a classic Monza start and a strategic Italian GP battle between Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari.
Verstappen’s Reaction to Pole
“Around here with the low downforce it's very difficult to nail the lap,” Verstappen said afterward. “Under braking it's easy to make mistakes. “Q3 felt good, [I'm] happy with the laps and to be on pole here is fantastic. The car has been working well here the whole weekend and to be able to fight for pole I'm very happy. We were still lacking a tiny amount [going into qualifying]. We made some final changes which allowed me to push a bit more which is exactly what you need in qualifying. For us it's a great moment.”
Italian Grand Prix Race Outlook
The grid sets up a tantalizing sprint to the Rettifilo chicane on Sunday, with the title protagonists bracketed by Verstappen — winless since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May — and Leclerc, who will be hunting a repeat of last year’s emotional Ferrari triumph at home. Expect a high-speed slipstream battle to Turn 1 at Monza that could define the Italian Grand Prix race strategy.
Lando Norris Qualifying Reaction
Norris, who survived a late Q2 scare before advancing and then pipped Piastri to the front row, admitted his session was ragged at times but found enough when it counted. The McLaren driver will target an aggressive launch from P2 in the Italian GP start. “Max has been quick all weekend and it's never a surprise with Max,” Norris said afterwards. “It was quite a session for me, just up and down and too many mistakes here and there. To put it all together on the last lap was pretty happy so [I'm] happy with P2. “I always give my result based on how I drove on the day. I feel like I didn't do the best of jobs but P2 I'm still happy with. Good things and bad things.”
Oscar Piastri’s Q3 Assessment
Piastri, who heads to Sunday with a 34-point championship cushion, dismissed the idea that he banked a conservative run. The McLaren driver’s consistency keeps him well placed in the Italian GP starting order. When asked what went wrong for him in Q3, he said: “Nothing major. “Turn 1 was a little bit average but the rest of the lap all felt pretty tidy. I felt like I executed a pretty good session, built up a little bit at the start, found my feet but I think it has been incredibly tight this weekend. “Max and Red Bull looked quick this weekend, I mean to be honest a lot of teams looked quick, it's not been quite as comfortable for us.”
Ferrari and Grid Penalties
Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth but will serve a five-place grid penalty, promoting a queue of rivals: Mercedes’ George Russell, local favorite Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda all gain a spot for the start. The penalty shuffle adds intrigue to the Italian Grand Prix starting grid and potential undercut/overcut strategies at Monza.
Midfield Qualifying Results
Just outside the top ten, Oliver Bearman and Nico Hülkenberg settled for 11th and 12th after narrowly missing Q3. Williams’ encouraging practice form evaporated when it counted, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon ending up 13th and 14th, while Haas driver Esteban Ocon took 15th. After celebrating his first Formula 1 podium at Zandvoort last week, Isack Hadjar came back down to earth with a Q1 exit. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto also failed to advance, with Colapinto out-qualifying Pierre Gasly on the day Gasly’s 2028 contract extension was confirmed. Barring any penalties ahead, Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson will start from the back after qualifying 20th. These Italian GP qualifying results highlight just how tight the midfield battle remains.
Italian GP Race Strategy Outlook
With Monza’s low-downforce setup and the powerful slipstream effect, the long run to Turn 1 looms large. Norris has struggled at times in wheel-to-wheel fights with Verstappen this season, but he’ll need to attack early if he wants to flip the script on Sunday. All signs point to a high-speed, strategy-heavy Italian Grand Prix at Monza, with Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari poised for a flat-out fight from lights out.
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