Gasly Stuns Monza With First Pole as Championship Leader Antonelli Starts Last
Pierre Gasly took his first Formula One pole position in qualifying for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza — at the 190th attempt. The Alpine driver edged out Mercedes' George Russell by just 0.06 seconds, turning the Saturday session into one of the stories of the season. The Guardian
Russell had set the pace in final practice earlier in the weekend, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari and Max Verstappen. Formula 1 But when it mattered, it was Gasly who found the lap — and a place in the record books.
The pole also extended a remarkable streak: Mercedes-powered cars have now taken pole at all 13 races of the 2026 season, with Gasly's Alpine running a Mercedes power unit. Formula 1
The top ten on the provisional grid lined up as Gasly, Russell, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Hamilton, Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, Lando Norris and Lindblad. The Guardian The FIA published the provisional qualifying classification on 5 September. FIA
Several penalties reshuffled the order. Piastri was handed a three-place grid drop for impeding Liam Lawson during qualifying. Meanwhile, Antonelli, Lawson and Alexander Albon were all relegated to the back of the grid for taking new power unit elements — the engine, turbocharger and related components that teams are limited on across a season. The Guardian
Antonelli's penalty is the one that reshapes the championship picture. The 2026 season leader started the Italian Grand Prix from 20th on the grid after a full set of new engine components triggered an automatic back-of-grid demotion. Hamilton, his nearest rival, trailed him by 59 points with 11 races remaining after Monza — a gap large enough to absorb some bad weekends, but not one that rewards complacency. The Guardian
Monza has a habit of writing its own scripts. Gasly's only previous Formula One victory came at this very circuit in 2020, when he capitalised on a penalty for Lewis Hamilton — who had illegally entered the pit lane under a closed status — to take a shock win for what was then the AlphaTauri team. The Guardian Hamilton shares the record for most Italian Grand Prix wins, level with Michael Schumacher on five each. Reuters
Round 13 of 23 in the 2026 championship, the Italian Grand Prix weekend ran from 4 to 6 September at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The season concludes with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 4–6 December. Formula 1
For fans, the ingredients are all there: a first-time polesitter on a circuit that rewards bravery, a championship leader fighting through from the back, and a title chase that still has plenty of maths left in it. Five red lights, a held breath, then everything at once.
