Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson received a 35-place grid penalty and will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after extensive power unit replacements.
While Pierre Gasly captured the first pole position of his Formula 1 career, a slew of strategic engine penalties pushed several front-running drivers to the rear of the field.
Pierre Gasly Claims Historic Pole Position for Alpine at Monza
Pierre Gasly turned heads across the paddock by securing maiden Formula 1 pole position with a blistering lap of 1m 21.786s. The Frenchman, who famously won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, capitalized on a perfectly timed slipstream during the final Q3 runs to edge out Mercedes driver George Russell by just 0.060 seconds.
The achievement marks a dramatic turnaround for Alpine, delivering the organization its first pole position since the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix when it competed under the Renault banner.
“Let’s gooooo! Let’s gooo! F–! I’ve been waiting for that one! I’ve been waiting for that one! F– yes!”
Pierre Gasly, Alpine driver
Gasly’s elation followed a turbulent week for the Alpine driver. Just a day prior to qualifying, the FIA International Court of Appeal reinstated two time penalties from the Monaco Grand Prix, stripping him of a third-place finish and dropping him to seventh. At Monza, however, precise tactical execution in Q3 allowed him to slip past the competition and deny Russell a heavily anticipated pole.
Liam Lawson Absorbs 35-Place Grid Drop and Helps Teammate Max Verstappen
Further down the pit lane, Red Bull’s Liam Lawson approached qualifying with a very specific strategic mandate. Knowing he would face a 35-place grid penalty due to a raft of new power unit components fitted to his car—including a fresh internal combustion engine, turbocharger, exhaust set, motor generator unit-kinetic, and power unit ancillary components—the Kiwi focused entirely on race preparation.
Because Monza’s long straights offer favorable overtaking opportunities, Red Bull chose the Italian circuit to absorb the mandatory penalties. Lawson successfully navigated Q1 on a set of medium tires to save soft sets for the race, posting a lap of 1m 22.898s to finish 13th fastest. In Q2, his mission shifted to acting as a tow partner for teammate Max Verstappen.
“To be honest, the weekend in general has been focussed on the race, because we knew we were taking the penalty. It’s not ideal, we didn’t put that much focus on pure, one-lap speed. I spent the whole of quali in clean air until that last lap.”
Liam Lawson, Red Bull driver
Lawson’s efforts to break into the top 10 were ultimately hampered by traffic during his final flying lap. As he approached the first chicane, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri impeded the Red Bull driver after exiting the pit lane.
“Bro, that’s appalling.”
Liam Lawson, Red Bull driver
Lawson finished Q2 in 14th place with a lap of 1m 22.821s. Following an investigation by FIA stewards, Piastri was handed a three-place grid penalty for blocking the Kiwi, dropping the McLaren driver from third to sixth on the starting grid.
Widespread Power Unit Penalties Reshape the Grid Behind Gasly
Lawson is far from the only driver forced to the back of the grid for exceeding seasonal power unit allowances. World championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli also took a major grid drop after Mercedes equipped his car with new engine components, pushing the Italian to the rear for his home race. Williams driver Alex Albon joined them after receiving a 20-place grid penalty for utilizing a fifth internal combustion engine and a fourth control electronics unit.
| Driver | Constructor | Qualifying Position / Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | Pole Position (1:21.786) |
| George Russell | Mercedes | 2nd (1:21.846) |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | Promoted to 3rd (Piastri penalty) |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | Promoted to 4th (Piastri penalty) |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | Promoted to 5th (Piastri penalty) |
| Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 6th (Three-place grid penalty) |
| Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | Back of Grid (Power unit penalties) |
| Liam Lawson | Red Bull | Back of Grid (35-place grid penalty) |
| Alex Albon | Williams | Back of Grid (20-place grid penalty) |
The provisional starting lineup sets up an unpredictable 53-lap Italian Grand Prix.
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