News Summary

Formula 1 was caught completely off guard on Saturday afternoon (September 5) as Pierre Gasly beat the leading teams to take pole position for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The surprise result gave Alpine its first pole since the team adopted its current identity and, stretching the lineage back through Renault, its first top qualifying spot in 17 years.

Gasly delivered a 1:21.786 in Q3 to beat George Russell by 0.060s and secure the first pole of his F1 career. The Frenchman had shown strong pace throughout qualifying, but Alpine had not been considered a serious candidate to beat Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull for the top spot.

The result was particularly unexpected after Alpine arrived in Italy with optimism surrounding a new upgrade package, but without indications that the team had the outright performance to challenge for pole. Gasly, however, remained near the front throughout qualifying and produced when it mattered most, leaving Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull behind.

Alpine’s historic result comes after the team had spent much of the 2026 season fighting in the midfield. The French outfit was sitting sixth in the Constructors’ Championship heading into the Italian GP weekend, having lost ground following the FIA decision that reinstated Gasly’s Monaco penalties. FIA ruling over Gasly’s Monaco podium changes 2026 F1 standings

Gasly’s pole is the first for Alpine since the team entered Formula 1 under that name in 2021. Because Alpine represents the continuation of the Enstone operation and Renault’s works programme, however, the historical wait stretches back further.

The previous pole for the Enstone-based Renault works team came at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, when Fernando Alonso qualified first. That means 17 years passed between Alonso’s pole and Gasly’s breakthrough at Monza.

Alonso had also been responsible for Renault’s previous pole before Hungary, taking the top spot at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix. Gasly’s result is therefore only the second pole for the Renault/Alpine lineage in the past 20 years.

The team’s history is not entirely continuous, though. Renault left the F1 grid after the 2010 season and sold its operation to an investment group. The Enstone team subsequently competed under the Lotus name from 2012 to 2015 before Renault returned as a factory operation in 2016.

The Lotus period did not produce a pole position, although the team won Grands Prix during that era. The 17-year figure therefore remains valid for the Renault/Alpine lineage at the top of qualifying.

For Gasly, meanwhile, Monza has once again proved to be a very special venue.

The Frenchman scored his only F1 victory at the circuit in 2020, when he drove for AlphaTauri. That victory became one of the defining moments of his career and remains his only Grand Prix win.

Five years later, Gasly has now added another landmark achievement at the same track. Before qualifying, he had already spoken about how the 2026 regulations could change the character of Monza, warning that the circuit could lose some of the qualities that have made it one of F1’s most iconic venues. Gasly warns Monza will “lose some of its charm” under F1’s 2026 rules

The Frenchman will now start Sunday’s race from the front of the grid, with Russell alongside him on the front row. Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc will start third and fourth respectively.

For Alpine, Gasly’s pole represents far more than a single exceptional qualifying session. It ends a 17-year drought dating back to the Renault era and gives the Enstone operation a chance to convert one of the most unexpected poles in recent F1 history into another memorable Monza victory.

For Gasly, the opportunity is even more significant: at the same circuit where he became a Grand Prix winner, he has now become an F1 pole-sitter.

GRANDE PRÊMIO accompanies all the action from the Italian GP, the 13th round of the 2026 season.

FAQ

1. When was the last pole for Alpine before Pierre Gasly?

Alpine’s previous pole under its current identity was none; the team’s Enstone/Renault lineage last took pole at the 2009 Hungarian GP, with Fernando Alonso. Gasly’s result at Monza therefore ends a 17-year wait.

2. Has Renault or Alpine won a race at Monza before?

Yes. Pierre Gasly won the 2020 Italian GP for AlphaTauri, which is his only F1 victory. The Enstone operation itself has also achieved victories under different identities during its history.

3. Why is Pierre Gasly so successful at Monza?

Monza has produced two of the biggest achievements of Gasly’s F1 career. He won his maiden Grand Prix there in 2020 and returned to pole position five years later, making the Italian circuit a particularly significant venue in his career.