Pierre Gasly was unable to convert his shock pole position into a podium at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing seventh at Monza on Sunday (6). Despite losing the lead early in the race and eventually being passed by rivals from Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari, the Alpine driver considered the weekend a positive step forward.
Gasly held first place after the start, but his advantage quickly disappeared as the faster cars behind began to close in. The Frenchman eventually crossed the line seventh, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli took a remarkable victory after starting from the back of the grid.
Gasly had produced one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 season the day before by taking his maiden F1 pole, beating George Russell by just 0.060s. The result also gave Alpine its first pole position since Fernando Alonso’s 2009 Hungarian GP qualifying performance. Gasly ended Alpine’s 17-year wait for pole.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Gasly admitted he had hoped for more from Sunday’s race but insisted there were plenty of positives to take from Monza.
“We have to be satisfied with the whole weekend. Obviously, qualifying was magical. Everyone was excited and dreaming about what could happen, what we could do. In the end, we have to be satisfied,” Gasly said.
“We were fighting for a few laps with Lando [Norris], who had won the last two races. We finished three seconds behind Lewis [Hamilton], who has been up there throughout the season, and 18 seconds ahead of the car behind us. Overall, we made big steps forward.”
“I would have liked us to get a little bit more than seventh place. But we need to take what we learned from this weekend, and hopefully we can keep improving,” he added.
Gasly’s seventh place was particularly notable given the gap between Alpine and the leading teams earlier in the season. Mercedes ultimately controlled the race, with Antonelli winning ahead of teammate George Russell and Max Verstappen.
Mercedes had warned before the race that Gasly could not be underestimated after his surprise qualifying performance, particularly because of Alpine’s strong straight-line speed. Toto Wolff had highlighted Gasly’s threat at Monza.
The Frenchman now wants Alpine to understand exactly why the A526 was so competitive at Monza and reproduce that level of performance at other circuits.
“That’s the goal. We need to understand the improvements we made this weekend. Obviously, Monza is quite unique, but without a doubt the car seemed much better set up this weekend,” Gasly explained.
“Hopefully we can repeat that. I’m sure I saw a lot of happy faces in the garage since yesterday, a lot of motivation. I’m very proud of everyone. We just need to keep it this way and try to close the gap to the leading teams,” he concluded.
Gasly’s result comes only two days after the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated his two five-second penalties from the Monaco Grand Prix, dropping him from third to seventh in the final classification. The FIA ruling cost Gasly his Monaco podium.
The Formula 1 season continues next weekend, September 11-13, with the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit in Madrid. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action from the 14th round of the 2026 season.
FAQ
What time is the next F1 race in Madrid?
The Spanish Grand Prix takes place from September 11-13 at the new Madring circuit in Madrid. The race is the next round of the 2026 F1 season after the Italian GP and marks the venue’s debut on the Formula 1 calendar.
Who is leading the 2026 F1 championship after the Italian GP?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with 267 points after winning at Monza. George Russell is second on 201, Lewis Hamilton is third on 191, Lando Norris has 171 and Charles Leclerc has 155. Max Verstappen sits sixth with 127 points.
Why was Pierre Gasly’s Monaco GP podium taken away?
Gasly’s Monaco podium was removed after the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated two five-second penalties for pit-lane speeding. The ruling dropped him from third to seventh in the final classification and restored Isack Hadjar to the podium.
