F1 Italian GP live commentary and updates – qualifying

Second runs are under way. Yuki Tsunoda has drawn the short straw and is running in front on track. Leclerc, Piastri, Hamilton, Norris also on out laps.

Verstappen, Russell, Bortoleto, Antonelli and Alonso now joining them.

Russell says he wanted mediums. Well, he's got softs.

Not the first time Mercedes has been better on the mediums than softs in qualifying, but that was when the C6 was the soft tyre at Imola, if memory serves.

No improvement for Leclerc so he is immediately usurped by Oscar Piastri. But Norris goes through next and is faster still – provisional pole!

But then Max Verstappen swoops through and pulls 1m18.792s from somewhere. Extraordinary. Norris's best lap of the weekend ultimately proved not enough.

Verstappen faster by 0.077s. "Relax, Pierre, it's all good," he says on the radio. Tech director Pierre Wache will be pleased.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Thompson - Getty Images

Reminder: last year Verstappen was P7 with 1m20.022s, seven tenths off pole position.

P1 to P10 in Q3 was 0.727s.

Sadly for Red Bull, P10 is Max's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in P4 and P5, separated by a tenth of a second.

At the risk of being accused of 'copium', we'll describe that as a decent day at the office for Ferrari and Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Beata Zawrzel / NurPhoto via Getty Images

MAX FACTOR

"Around here with the lower downforce it's always difficult to nail the lap," says Max.

"For us to be on pole here is fantastic."

FRONT ROW SEAT

So we have Max Verstappen and Lando Norris on the front row tomorrow, with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc lining up behind them. Lots of drivers determined to make their mark tomorrow - at a circuit where Turn 1 on the opening lap is always dicey. Should be fun!

THAT'S IT FROM QUALIFYING AT MONZA

We'll leave you with an image of ex-Ferrari F1 driver and multiple Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx in a Ferrari 312B2 he drove in period. Pasta magnate, F1 sponsor and former Minardi F1 driver Paolo Barilla looks on.

Is he saying "Penne for your thoughts"?

Paolo Barilla, Jacky Ickx, Ferrari 312 B2

Photo by: Philippe Lopez / AFP / Getty Images