Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Pierre Gasly Claims Shock Maiden Pole at Italian Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly drove the fastest lap in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.
This earned him the first pole position of his Formula One career.
It was also the first pole ever for his Alpine team.
George Russell finished just behind him by 0.060 seconds.
Oscar Piastri was third fastest.
The drivers used slipstreams, which means following another car to gain extra speed.
A mistake by Piastri affected Lando Norris’s final attempt.
The race will start with Gasly at the front of the grid.
Pierre Gasly took his first Formula One pole position at Monza with a lap of 1:21.786.
Gasly beat George Russell by 0.060 seconds, while Oscar Piastri qualified third.
The result marked Alpine’s first pole position in its history.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth and fifth for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen sixth.
Lando Norris qualified ninth after Piastri’s mistake disrupted his final-lap slipstream.
- Who
- Pierre Gasly took pole ahead of George Russell and Oscar Piastri.
- What
- Gasly secured his maiden Formula One pole position and Alpine’s first pole.
- When
- Saturday qualifying for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix.
- Where
- Monza, Italy.
- Why
- Gasly benefited from a strong final lap in a close slipstream battle.
- Pole sitter
- Pierre Gasly
- Pole lap
- 1:21.786
- Second place
- George Russell, 0.060 seconds behind
- Third place
- Oscar Piastri
- Team milestone
- Alpine’s first pole position
- Ferrari qualifiers
- Charles Leclerc fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth
- Max Verstappen
- Qualified sixth
- Lando Norris
- Qualified ninth after losing the benefit of Piastri’s tow