News Summary
- Toto Wolff believes Mercedes cannot underestimate Pierre Gasly after the Alpine driver took a surprise pole for the Italian GP.
- The Mercedes boss highlighted Alpine’s very strong straight-line speed as a key factor behind Gasly’s qualifying performance.
- Wolff expects Andrea Kimi Antonelli to recover from the back of the grid but admitted that a podium would be “asking too much” for the championship leader.
After Mercedes lost pole position for the Italian GP to Alpine on Saturday (5), Toto Wolff assessed Pierre Gasly’s chances of turning his surprise qualifying performance into a race victory at Monza. The Mercedes team principal acknowledged that Sunday’s race will be a different challenge, but insisted that Alpine’s pace must be taken seriously.
Mercedes had entered qualifying as the favourite for pole after George Russell topped FP2 and remained among the leading contenders throughout the weekend. The team had also shown strong race preparation on Friday, although it had remained cautious about the competitive order ahead of qualifying.
Russell ultimately qualified second, 0.060s behind Gasly’s 1:21.786. The Briton had been on course for pole on his final attempt but was compromised by traffic involving Max Verstappen at the start of the lap.
Russell was also supported by team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was already facing a back-of-the-grid start because of Mercedes’ power-unit changes. As previously reported by GRANDE PRÊMIO, Mercedes deliberately chose Monza for Antonelli’s penalty because the circuit offers strong overtaking opportunities and therefore the best chance of recovering positions. Mercedes’ decision to take Antonelli’s engine penalty at Monza
Asked by British broadcaster Sky Sports what had gone wrong for Russell after he had been considered the favourite for pole, Wolff pointed to the final run.
“In the end, he was compromised by Max [Verstappen] on the last attempt, when he was starting the lap. He was simply too close, and that compromised the lap time and meant he lost pole position,” Wolff said.
The bigger question now is whether Gasly and Alpine can maintain that pace over a full race distance. Wolff believes the Frenchman deserves Mercedes’ full attention, particularly after Alpine showed considerable speed on Monza’s long straights.
“We always need to take everybody seriously. They have enormous straight-line speed. They reduced the drag a lot and, on a qualifying lap, that proved to be exactly what was needed. The race is a completely different story, so let’s see,” Wolff said.
Gasly’s pole marks the first of his Formula 1 career and gives Alpine a major opportunity to fight Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren for victory. The result also continues a remarkable Monza story for Gasly, who took his maiden F1 win at the circuit in 2020.
Mercedes’ attention will also be on Antonelli, who will start from the back despite qualifying seventh. The championship leader had already been preparing for a recovery drive at Monza, with Mercedes expecting the circuit’s long straights and heavy braking zones to help him make progress through the field.
Wolff believes Antonelli can recover positions during the race but was more cautious when asked whether a podium was realistic.
“You can see how difficult it gets once you get through a certain group of backmarkers. The performances are so close that, unless you take a very different strategy and make a gamble, I don’t think it’s possible,” Wolff said.
Antonelli currently leads the Drivers’ Championship by 59 points over Russell and Lewis Hamilton, but his engine-related penalties mean Mercedes will have to rely on strategy and overtaking opportunities to limit the damage in Italy.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is covering all the action from the Italian GP, the 13th round of the 2026 season.
FAQ
Can Pierre Gasly win the Italian GP from pole?
Gasly has shown strong qualifying pace and will start from pole, but Mercedes expects the race to be a different challenge. Alpine’s strong straight-line speed could nevertheless make Gasly a serious contender for victory.
Why is Kimi Antonelli starting from the back at Monza?
Mercedes changed several power-unit components on Antonelli’s car, triggering grid penalties. The team chose Monza because its long straights and heavy braking zones offer good overtaking opportunities. Why Mercedes chose Monza for Antonelli’s grid penalty
Who is the favourite for the Italian GP?
Gasly starts from pole, while Russell starts second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupy the next two positions after Oscar Piastri’s penalty. Mercedes remains a major contender, but Wolff has warned that Alpine’s straight-line speed makes Gasly a driver the team must take seriously.
