News Summary
- Pierre Gasly delivered a stunning pole position for Alpine, beating George Russell by just 0.060s at Monza.
- Alpine’s straight-line speed has disrupted the expected Mercedes advantage, creating another threat for championship leader George Russell.
- Ferrari will start third and fourth with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, leaving the Scuderia with a genuine chance of fighting for the podium at home.
Sometimes destiny has a strange sense of timing.
Six years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pierre Gasly produced one of the most emotional and entertaining victories of the modern Formula 1 era at Monza. The Frenchman won the 2020 Italian GP in a deserted circuit aboard the small AlphaTauri, then still carrying some of the spirit of Toro Rosso, but could barely celebrate the achievement properly because of the restrictions surrounding the pandemic.
It was a chaotic day, and Gasly knew exactly how to navigate the chaos.
Now, six years later, the Frenchman has produced another first at the same circuit: the first pole position of his Formula 1 career, again at Monza.
“There is something special about this place,” Gasly said after qualifying.
There certainly is.
Unlike September 6, 2020, the driver of the No. 10 Alpine did not need chaos this time. He needed speed, precision and a touch of bravery. And, to make the achievement even sweeter, the pole came with a sense of redemption after a difficult few weeks for Gasly and Alpine.
Before the weekend even began, Gasly and Alpine had to deal with the disappointment of losing his Monaco podium again after the FIA International Court of Appeal restored the penalties handed down to him following appeals from Red Bull and McLaren. That decision reopened an old wound just as the team arrived at its home race in France’s neighboring Italy.
Gasly could hardly have responded better.
The Frenchman produced a sensational qualifying performance, while Alpine executed the weekend brilliantly. GRANDE PRÊMIO had already detailed Gasly’s historic pole and the circumstances behind Alpine’s unexpected performance at Monza. Gasly takes historic pole for Alpine at Italian GP
“This is the story of my life,” Gasly said when reflecting on the FIA decision. “I didn’t want to receive the news yesterday, but that’s another story. Now it’s pure emotion. We’ve worked so hard and when you are rewarded like this, it’s priceless. That’s why I do what I do.”
Alpine had started the season as the clear leader of the midfield, but the team gradually lost ground after bringing relatively few updates. Racing Bulls and Audi had begun to close the gap, leaving the Enstone-based operation in need of a response.
Monza provided the perfect opportunity.
The circuit’s long straights and heavy emphasis on energy management suit the characteristics of the A526 and Mercedes power unit, particularly when it comes to straight-line efficiency. But Alpine found something beyond the expected advantage.
The strongest evidence came from the second car.
Franco Colapinto will start seventh, demonstrating that this was not simply a case of Gasly producing a miracle lap. The Alpine package was genuinely competitive.
Both drivers also worked carefully around the slipstream strategy that has become so important at Monza. In a circuit dominated by long straights and high-speed corners, the timing and positioning of each car can have a decisive effect.
Gasly did not take the tow from Colapinto on his final Q3 run. Instead, he benefited from the slipstream provided by Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, gaining the extra momentum he needed on the decisive lap.
He then delivered a clean and controlled lap to beat George Russell by just 0.060s.
Steve Nielsen, Alpine’s managing director, pointed to changes made to the car since the Dutch GP as a major factor in the team’s performance.
“We made a big improvement to Pierre’s car in Zandvoort. That same improvement was put on Franco’s car here. I don’t think we extracted the maximum from the package in Zandvoort because it is a peculiar circuit. But we came here and the car is responding very well,” Nielsen said.
“We got what we needed right, adjusted the tow, the drivers made no mistakes and the lap time is clearly in the car, because both of them were fast today.”
That is enough to scramble the expected competitive order in Formula 1.
Mercedes was widely expected to be the team to beat. Monza should have suited the W17 perfectly, with its long straights and energy management among the car’s biggest strengths.
Instead, Russell lost the pole by a tiny margin in a session where the tow proved decisive. Even the slipstream from Max Verstappen’s Red Bull helped the Mercedes driver, but it was not enough to overcome Gasly.
Russell remains the favorite for victory, particularly given Mercedes’ long-run strength, but he will have to be aggressive from the opening laps.
Alpine’s straight-line speed is now another variable to consider. Mercedes will also have to account for teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who will start from the back after taking a grid penalty for power unit changes.
Toto Wolff therefore had little interest in underestimating Gasly.
“We always need to take everyone seriously. They have enormous straight-line speed. They reduced the drag massively and, over one lap, that proved to be exactly what was needed. The race is a different story, so we’ll see,” the Mercedes team principal said. Mercedes warns against underestimating Gasly after shock Italian GP pole
That distinction between qualifying and the race could ultimately define Sunday.
Alpine’s race simulation was not particularly spectacular, while Mercedes has shown stronger long-run pace. But Saturday demonstrated how quickly the competitive picture can change at Monza.
“There are so many unknowns,” Gasly told reporters. “This is Formula 1, you cannot control everything. I don’t know where we will finish tomorrow, I just hope to stay ahead for as long as possible.”
“I know the odds won’t be on my side once again, but we’re not here for predictions. We’re here to give everything we have. I’ll do everything I can to be ready for the race, and you can be sure I’ll give everything.”
Ferrari has a chance to interfere
Ferrari, meanwhile, still has its own opportunity to rewrite the narrative at its home race.
The Scuderia was unable to challenge for pole, but Charles Leclerc will start third and Lewis Hamilton fourth, both benefiting from Oscar Piastri’s three-place penalty after the McLaren driver impeded Liam Lawson in Q2. Leclerc says Ferrari ‘needs to be smart’ to beat Mercedes and Alpine at Monza
Piastri therefore drops from third to sixth, leaving Ferrari with both cars on the second row.
That creates a genuine podium opportunity — perhaps even a double podium — but Ferrari will need to execute the race perfectly.
The team was also the only one to conduct a race simulation on the soft tyres, continuing the different strategic approaches it has experimented with in recent races.
That could become significant if the race develops into a battle over battery deployment and track position.
There is, however, one obvious problem: straight-line speed.
“We have a really good car. The Mercedes engine is still ahead, but I think we did a good job to get as close as we are. But at the end of the day, they still gain several tenths on the straights. We have to do the best we can,” Hamilton said.
Ferrari therefore has the pace to interfere in the fight, but Monza leaves little room for strategic mistakes.
One-stop strategy expected
Strategy should play a role, although the Italian GP is expected to be primarily a one-stop race.
Pirelli believes Monza’s long straights and relatively low traction demands help control rear-tyre temperatures, creating favorable conditions for thermal management and making all three compounds available for strategic use.
The conventional approach remains a medium-to-hard strategy, with the C4 medium expected to offer the greatest flexibility.
The theoretical quickest strategy involves starting on the medium tyre and stopping between laps 24 and 30 before switching to the hard compound for the run to the flag.
The soft C5, however, has also shown competitive performance and could become an aggressive option for drivers looking to exploit its initial grip and gain positions into Turn 1.
Critical tyre degradation is not expected despite the forecast of high temperatures in Monza.
That leaves teams with several viable options, but the conclusion is relatively simple: strategy may matter less than pace and track position.
And that is precisely why Gasly’s pole has made the Italian GP so much more interesting.
Mercedes remains the benchmark. Ferrari has both cars in the top four. Alpine has suddenly emerged as a genuine threat.
After an unexpected Saturday at Monza, the established order has been thoroughly shaken up.
GRANDE PRÊMIO follows all the action from the Italian GP, the 13th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
FAQ
Why is Pierre Gasly on pole for the Italian GP?
Gasly delivered a 1:21.786 in Q3 to beat George Russell by 0.060s. Alpine’s exceptional straight-line speed, efficient energy management and strong execution helped the Frenchman secure his maiden F1 pole.
Can Alpine challenge Mercedes in the Italian GP?
Alpine’s qualifying pace makes it a genuine threat, but Mercedes is still expected to have an advantage over a full race distance. Gasly’s biggest challenge will be maintaining track position while managing the car’s long-run performance.
Where will Ferrari start at Monza?
Charles Leclerc will start third, while Lewis Hamilton will start fourth after Oscar Piastri’s three-place penalty. Both Ferraris therefore line up ahead of Max Verstappen and have a strong opportunity to fight for the podium.
