Max Verstappen denies McLaren with superb pole position for F1 Italian GP

Max Verstappen took pole position for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, denying both McLarens top spot in a thrilling qualifying session at Monza.

The Dutchman stormed to pole with 1:18.792s at the very end of Q3, with Lando Norris looking set to take pole.

Oscar Piastri could only settle for third spot, with Charles Leclerc maintaining Ferrari interest with fourth.

Lewis Hamilton will start 10th, serving his grid penalty having qualified in fifth place.

For Verstappen, it was a perhaps unexpected pole position, and with an average speed of 264.681 km/h, it was by mean speed, the fastest ever lap in F1 history.

It also threatens to shake up the race with the title protagonists just behind Verstappen, promising excitement and drama at the Temple of Speed.

Hadjar out in Q1 for the first time

Q1 began with Ferrari getting both cars out early, ensuring Leclerc and Hamilton held first and second after the initial runs to get the tifosi on its collective feet.

Verstappen went second, with the McLarens taking to the track. Norris went nearly two tenths faster than Leclerc’s immediately, with Piastri going second.

With half of Q1 gone, the only cars yet to set a proper time were both the Williams, but Alex Albon jumped up immediately into ninth.

Fernando Alonso went into second place ahead of Leclerc, who set a faster time than Piastri on his second lap.

George Russell then went top with a 1:19.414s, with Bortoleto leapfrogging both Leclerc and Piastri to go fourth. Carlos Sainz then went third.

Pierre Gasly, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson were in the danger zone.

With one minute to go and drivers back out on fresh tyres, Antontelli got himself up to 11th, but was still at risk.

Isack Hadjar and Albon were now in the drop zone, the Frenchman going up to 15th, but Albon displaced him immediately, knocking out Hadjar and confirming a double elimination for Racing Bulls.

Lance Stroll, and both Alpines would join them for an early end to the afternoon. Hadjar was incredulous, and accused Sainz of “cruising around” and “trying to make my lap difficult”.

The team made the call to change his power unit upon his early exit, giving him a pit lane start.

Hamilton and Norris scrape through as both Williams knocked out

Q2 was delayed as marshals cleared up gravel off the track, but started with both Williams first and second. Gabriel Bortoleto continued his good run with fourth place, with Piastri the highest McLaren in third.

Norris aborted his first run after making a mistake in the first chicane, with Verstappen quickest with a 1:19.140s. At the halfway stage, Norris was bottom, having not set a time.

Albon made a similar mistake to Norris, locking up at the Retiffilio, leaving him in 14th and in danger with just a few minutes left.

Norris got himself into seventh, as Sainz, Hamilton and Antonelli were on the cusp of elimination, as Oliver Bearman and Alonso also sat in the danger zone.

Antonelli went quickest as Ocon was confirmed out, with Hamilton now in 11th. Leclerc was in fifth as Alonso and Bearman put themselves into the top 10.

Hamilton went eighth with just a few seconds left, with Sainz knocked out along with Nico Hulkenberg. Albon would join them, ending Williams’ hopes.

Norris was in 11th and out but managed to take fifth spot, knocking out Bearman.

Verstappen initially went quickest but Norris and then Piastri displaced him, with Russell popping up in second, pushing the Red Bull down to fifth.

Leclerc produced a roar from the crowd as he went into first, with Hamilton going third. But Verstappen produced a typically Verstappen lap, a 1:18.923s, to go fastest.

The final runs began with one-and-a-half minutes to go, with Russell voicing his displeasure at being put out on Softs, saying he wanted to have Mediums.

Leclerc and Hamilton were the first to get onto their push laps, and both of them were down on Verstappen after the middle sectors.

It was three-tenths down for Leclerc, and no change for Hamilton. Norris took provisional pole but Verstappen immediately went quickest again.

WIth the bar often set low for Red Bull this year, it was another demonstration of how good Verstappen is at any given moment.

Piastri took third to set him up on the clean side of the track, with Norris on the dirty side.

Row 4 would be completed by Leclerc, with Russell and Antonelli completing an all-Mercedes third row behind them, as Hamilton, despite taking fifth, would ultimately line-up 10th.

Bortoleto would take seventh, with Alonso eighth and Tsunoda ninth.

READ MORE – F1 2025 Italian Grand Prix – Qualifying Results