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Alex Kalinauckas

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

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