F1 Italian GP: Sainz stuns Verstappen for Monza pole

The session at Monza also formed the second 2023 qualifying session run to the Alternative Tyre Allocation rules that required the drivers to run the hards throughout Q1, mediums in Q2 and softs in Q3.

Both Ferrari drivers had faced a post-qualifying investigation for failing to follow the race director’s instructors in terms of the maximum lap time that had been set to avoid traffic chaos in the session, based on the duration their respective out-laps at the end of Q1.

But just as qualifying concluded, it was announced there would be no further action required by the stewards.

In Q3, Sainz led Leclerc after the first runs – the Spaniard’s 1m20.532s giving him the edge by 0.032s over his team-mate, who had led the way and provided a handy tow.

Verstappen, running ahead of the pack, ended up ruing running slightly wide out of the Roggia chicane, as he trailed Sainz by 0.099s.

On the second runs, Verstappen ran between the Ferrari pair – suggesting the tow factor at both Ferrari and Red Bull was not a critical consideration.

Here, Leclerc led the way of the frontrunners and he blitzed to provisional pole with a 1m20.361s before Verstappen stole ahead.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

But Sainz would not be denied – having been the lead Ferrari driver throughout practice and until Leclerc’s final flier just seconds earlier – as he flashed through with a stunning late gain to claim pole with a 1m20.294s to send the home crowd into raptures.

George Russell finished fourth, with Perez only fifth in the second Red Bull, while Alex Albon took sixth for Williams.

Oscar Piastri ended up seventh for McLaren ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.

Earlier, Verstappen led Q2, where Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant were knocked out.

The middle segment featured Lawson reaching that stage for the first time in his short F1 career as Daniel Ricciardo’s injury replacement, while Hamilton needed a big final lap to jump from the drop zone after the first runs to progress Q2 in sixth.

In Q1, which Verstappen topped despite losing his first lap to a track limits violation at the second Lesmo, Zhou Guanyu, Alpine pair Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen and Lance Stroll were eliminated.

Ocon had two dramatic moments in that session – nearly colliding with Norris when on a preparation lap and the McLaren was flying towards the Parabolica and then running into the gravel exiting the Ascari chicane.

F1 Italian GP - Qualifying results

Main Information Additional Data Driver Info

     

Driver Info			Main Information Additional Data
Cla	Driver	#		Chassis	Engine	Time	km/h
1	C. Sainz Carlos Sainz Ferrari	55		Ferrari	Ferrari	1'20.294	259.730
2	M. Verstappen Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1		Red Bull	Red Bull	+0.013	259.688
3	C. Leclerc Charles Leclerc Ferrari	16		Ferrari	Ferrari	+0.067	259.513
4	G. Russell George Russell Mercedes	63		Mercedes	Mercedes	+0.377	258.516
5	S. Perez Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing	11		Red Bull	Red Bull	+0.394	258.462
6	A. Albon Alex Albon Williams	23		Williams	Mercedes	+0.466	258.231
7	O. Piastri Oscar Piastri McLaren	81		McLaren	Mercedes	+0.491	258.151
8	L. Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Mercedes	44		Mercedes	Mercedes	+0.526	258.040
9	L. Norris Lando Norris McLaren	4		McLaren	Mercedes	+0.685	257.533
10	F. Alonso Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14		Aston Martin	Mercedes	+1.123	256.147
11	Y. Tsunoda Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri	22		AlphaTauri	Red Bull	+1.300	255.592
12	L. Lawson Liam Lawson AlphaTauri	40		AlphaTauri	Red Bull	+1.464	255.079
13	N. Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27		Haas	Ferrari	+1.482	255.023
14	V. Bottas Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo	77		Alfa Romeo	Ferrari	+1.646	254.513
15	L. Sargeant Logan Sargeant Williams	2		Williams	Mercedes	+1.650	254.500
16	Z. Guanyu Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo	24		Alfa Romeo	Ferrari	+2.096	253.122
17	P. Gasly Pierre Gasly Alpine	10		Alpine	Renault	+2.251	252.647
18	E. Ocon Esteban Ocon Alpine	31		Alpine	Renault	+2.254	252.638
19	K. Magnussen Kevin Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20		Haas	Ferrari	+2.298	252.503
20	L. Stroll Lance Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18		Aston Martin	Mercedes	+2.566	251.687
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