F1 – French Formula One driver Pierre Gasly upset the favourites to grab a stunning career-first pole position with Renault-owned Alpine at the Italian Grand Prix yesterday.
Gasly, who won at Monza with Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) in 2020 and lives in nearby Milan, seized pole from Mercedes’s George Russell with his final effort and a lap of one minute 21.786 seconds – 0.060 quicker than the Briton.
“It’s been nine years trying to chase the opportunity to get a pole,” said Gasly, who was the last of the pole contenders to complete his final flying lap.
“I won my first race in Monza and got my first pole at this track. It’s something special around here.”
Gasly had already hinted at something special in the earlier phases, leading Q1 and fourth fastest in Q2, and his mechanics erupted in jubilation as the pole was confirmed – a day after he had been stripped of third place at last June’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The pole was also the first for Renault’s team since they became Alpine in 2021.
Russell, a title contender, hailed an incredible performance by the 30-year-old Frenchman in his 190th start.
“We were finishing a game of chess about 15 minutes before qualifying and he beat me there and I went ‘well, I think I will beat you in qualifying’ and here we are, he’s ahead of me again,” said the Briton.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified third at the ‘Temple of Speed’ but was then handed a three-place drop for impeding Red Bull’s Liam Lawson.
&uuid=(email))