Dominating Victory for Verstappen at the Ferrari's Hosted Event
The Italian Grand Prix 2022 in Monza witnessed an electrifying qualifying session under a perfect atmosphere, with the stands packed and the sky a clear blue. The event was marked by several notable performances, including Lando Norris's fastest lap before the top-10 grid positions were finalized.
Max Verstappen, however, stole the show, securing his 45th career pole position and breaking a record. The Red Bull driver beat Norris by a narrow margin of 0.077 seconds to claim the coveted spot on the grid.
The session began with Norris, Piastri, Leclerc, and Verstappen progressing comfortably to the second round of qualifying. Hamilton advanced to the second round but failed to make it to the third. Interestingly, Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls, who advanced to the third round in Zandvoort, could not repeat the feat in Monza.
Norris, who set the fastest lap initially, had a brief setback when he locked up and skipped the chicane in the second segment, putting him last on the leaderboard. However, he managed to improve his time on his final attempt, although it was not enough to secure a top spot.
George Russell held second place during the first segment, but he too could not maintain the pace in the subsequent rounds. The final positions saw Max Verstappen remaining unbeatable in the final round, securing his 46th career pole position.
Behind Verstappen, Lando Norris qualified in second place, followed by Oscar Piastri in third, Charles Leclerc in fourth, and Lewis Hamilton in fifth. However, Hamilton will start five places back due to a grid penalty.
In the standings, Verstappen trails Piastri by a significant 104 points, while Piastri has a 34-point lead over Norris. The Italian Grand Prix promises to be an exciting race with such close competition among the top drivers.
