Kovalainen Takes Monza Pole
Heikki Kovalainen has taken pole for tomorrow's race one at Monza, beating championship rival Nico Rosberg to the top spot by just two tenths of a second

No other driver was within a second of the pole time of 1:33.725 - the closest driver was Scott Speed, who was 1.1 seconds behind and will share the second row with Rosberg's teammate Alex Premat.
The qualifying session was held under blue skies and with temperatures soaring. Kovalainen took the fastest first sector on his first lap out of the pits, but Rosberg struck back in the second and third sectors to take provisional pole.
It would only last for one lap - next time by the pits, Kovalainen reclaimed the top spot from this morning with a lap of 1:33.739, which he bettered slightly at the midway mark of the session for pole on his second set of tyres.
No one else had a reply, although not for want of trying. Jose Maria Lopez looked impressive throughout, and will start tomorrow's race on the third row, with a surprisingly quick Ferdinando Monfardini, initially fifth fastest, lining up behind him in seventh place, separated by Nelson Piquet Jr.
The session was remarkably free of incident, with a few drivers running straight through the first chicane but no one finding the barriers.
New driver Toni Vilander made up for his lack of laps in free practice by claiming 16th position just as the session ended, an impressive lap considering his lack of time in the car.
With the first fourteen drivers separated by just two seconds there are bound to be fireworks as the pack finds their way to the first corner at the start of tomorrow afternoon's race.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Kovalainen Arden International 1:33.739 10 2. Rosberg ART Grand Prix 1:33.930 + 0.191 8 3. Speed iSport International 1:34.851 + 1.112 13 4. Premat ART Grand Prix 1:35.137 + 1.398 13 5. Lopez DAMS 1:35.160 + 1.421 13 6. Piquet Hitech Piquet Sports 1:35.224 + 1.566 11 7. Lapierre Arden International 1:35.232 + 1.498 10 8. Monfardini Durango 1:35.258 + 1.698 9 9. Jani Racing Engineering 1:35.410 + 1.671 11 10. Pantano Super Nova International 1:35.463 + 1.808 12 11. Garcia Racing Engineering 1:35.593 + 1.854 11 12. Viso BCN Competicion 1:35.721 + 1.982 12 13. Hernandez Campos Racing 1:35.744 + 2.005 13 14. Yoshimoto BCN Competicion 1:35.821 + 2.082 11 15. Mondini DPR 1:35.857 + 2.118 13 16. Vilander Coloni Motorsport 1:35.944 + 2.205 15 17. Pla DPR 1:36.044 + 2.305 12 18. Alvarez Campos Racing 1:36.119 + 2.380 4 19. Piccione Durango 1:36.365 + 2.626 13 20. Artam iSport International 1:36.427 + 2.405 13 21. Negrao Hitech Piquet Sports 1:36.551 + 2.812 12 22. Lauda Coloni Motorsport 1:36.897 + 3.158 13 23. Fauzy DAMS 1:36.933 + 3.194 12 24. Carroll Super Nova International 1:37.396 + 3.651 3
Latest news
Armstrong feels “confident” adapting to “very natural” IndyCar
Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Marcus Armstrong says he already feels confident in an IndyCar, after just two days of testing ahead of the 2023 season.
FIA reveals six F1 engine suppliers signed up for 2026
The FIA has revealed that six manufacturers have signed up for the next generation of Formula 1 engine regulations starting in 2026, including Red Bull Ford, Audi and Honda.
Red Bull to use fan-designed F1 livery for three US races in 2023
Red Bull will race with fan-designed liveries for the three Formula 1 races in the United States this year.
Red Bull unveils 2023 F1 livery in New York
Red Bull has unveiled the livery of its 2023 Formula 1 car at a New York launch event as it bids to defend both world championships.
Ranking the 10 best drivers from F1's junior series in 2022
The ladder to F1 never gets any less slippery. But a strong cast of Formula 3 and Formula 2 aces proved sure of foot as they continued their climbs in 2022
The next steps for France's latest F1 hopeful after an F2 title miss
Theo Pourchaire entered the 2022 Formula 2 season a firm favourite for the title after remaining with ART Grand Prix for a second season. But an unexpected charge from Felipe Drugovich and MP Motorsport meant the Frenchman was forced to settle for second. What went wrong for the Sauber protege, and where does he go from here?
The remarkable career turnaround of an ever-improving F2 talent
Sixth in the F2 standings heading into this month's final round, but within touching distance of third, Enzo Fittipaldi has quietly put together a strong first full season in the Formula 1 support series, recovering well from the scary Jeddah start crash that cut his 2021 campaign short. It marks a turn in fortunes for the Brazilian who thought he'd bid hopes of a career in Europe goodbye two years ago
What the future holds for two Red Bull juniors fighting in the F2 battleground
Despite having two talented drivers, albeit at very different stages of their careers, Prema Racing has had mixed fortunes in FIA Formula 2 this year. Both drivers told Autosport how they rate their seasons so far – and their next steps beyond 2022
The problem sausage kerbs continue to cause
Track limits are the problem that motorsport doesn't seem to be able to rid itself of. But the use of so-called 'sausage kerbs' as a deterrent has in several instances only served to worsen the problem, and a growing number of voices want to see action taken
The on-form F1 protege carrying America's hopes on his shoulders
Two feature race wins in as many rounds have helped Logan Sargeant to emerge as the closest challenger to runaway Formula 2 points leader Felipe Drugovich. The Williams F1 junior couldn't have timed his rise better, with interest in grand prix racing on the rise in his US homeland, and he could be his country's best shot at getting a driver on the grid for the first time since 2015
What racing in Australia means for the future of F1's junior series
The announcement that FIA Formula 2 and 3 would race alongside the Australian Grand Prix from 2023 came as a surprise, not only to fans but to the series’ teams too. But with Formula 1’s boom in popularity bringing more fans to the championships, team principals are relishing the opportunity
The other Doohan charting his way to motorsport success
Heading into FIA Formula 2 this season, there was a lot of pressure on Jack Doohan. The 2021 F3 runner-up joined a new team for his next challenge, as well as signing up to the Alpine Academy. He told Autosport how he’s tackling the step up - with some help from his motorcycle legend father
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.