Max Verstappen is in pole position for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix. The Dutchman set a new lap record at the Monza circuit with a 1:18.792 lap. The Red Bull driver’s final run dethroned a determined Lando Norris and left the home crowd disappointed as Ferrari settled for the second row.
Max Verstappen Takes on Pole
Max Verstappen had a few tense moments in qualifying, including a brief scare. “Check the floor,” he radioed after running through the gravel on the side of the track.
But in the end, no one was able to stop Verstappen. He first took theprovisional pole before, finally, securing the top spot with a 1:18.792 lap (sealing P1 by 0.077s).
However, not only did he break the previous lap record set by Lewis Hamilton in 2020 at Monza, but Max Verstappen also achieved the fastest lap in F1 history ever, averaging 256.682 km/h.
McLaren’s Rocky Session
Tensions rose in Q2 when Lando Norris received the urgent call over the radio, calling him over to box. The team opted for a fresh set of tires. As Norris headed back out, his engineer warned, “It will be tight for push. Cool, cool, push.” With the time left in the session, it all had to go smoothly. On his final attempt, Norris managed to scrape through to Q3, notably benefiting from the tow provided by cars ahead of him.
With a fresh set of tires, Norris momentarily grabbed pole position in Q3. However, the celebration was short-lived, as, moments later, Max Verstappen crossed the finish line. Lando Norris will start second.
His teammate, Oscar Piastri, had a strong qualifying session as well, taking the third place on the grid.
Disappointment for the Tifosi
The Tifosi were on their feet and cheering when Charles Leclerc landed on provisional pole in Q3. The hopes of a home-race victory, facilitated by a pole position, seemed alive.
However, the team couldn’t maintain the momentum in their final laps. Both Ferrari drivers were unable to improve their times, finishing fourth and fifth on the grid. Lewis Hamilton, having a 5-place penalty, will, however, start tenth. While it is not a poor result, it is certainly a disappointment, as the team misses out on a front-row start at their home circuit.
Racing Bull’s Dramatic Afternoon
Racing Bulls had a dramatic Saturday in Monza, with Isack Hadjar’s day taking a turn for the worse before qualifying even began.
During FP3, Hadjar skipped the Turn 4/5 chicane and failed to take the required escape road, instead rejoining the circuit directly after the corners. This led to a penalty, meaning he would start from the back of the grid. Considering this and the fact that the team meant to make certain changes on his motor, it was decided that Hadjar would start from the pit lane.
Liam Lawson‘s fate was not any brighter. He qualified last.
Midfield Mishaps
Williams had a rocky start when Carlos Sainz struggled with a slide and his tires getting stuck. He managed to recover to the third spot at one point in the early stages, giving his teammate Alex Albon some tow. However, both drivers were eventually eliminated in Q2, marking an end to a weekend initially filled with hope.
The Haas and Alpine teams struggled to find pace.
Haas driver Esteban Ocon was particularly frustrated as he got sent out first during Q2. Post race, he later cited issues with the front wing, leading to “a lot of blocking and understeering.” Despite this, he remained hopeful, stating, “Everything can happen, [the time between cars]’s very tight so even a small thing during the race can help us.”
Meanwhile, Alpine’s driver, Pierre Gasly, lamented the team’s lack of pace. “It’s a shame, we tried,” he said. “In all cases, we were missing too much to go to Q2… We’re still missing a few tenths to actually be in the fight.“
Gabriel Bortoleto delivered an impressive performance in qualifying, securing eighth on the grid. His starting position is creating optimism for him to score points this Sunday.
The final qualification stands as such: