Ferrari's home soil taken by Verstappen's surprise takeover
The Italian Grand Prix is set to be an exciting race, with Max Verstappen securing the pole position in a thrilling qualifying session at Monza. The Red Bull driver overcame struggles with the car this season to achieve his 45th career pole position, 0.077 seconds ahead of Lando Norris and 104 points ahead of Oscar Piastri in the standings.
Norris had a nail-biting moment in the second qualifying session, locking up and skipping the chicane, leaving him last on the board with six minutes remaining. However, he managed to recover and finish second, with Charles Leclerc qualifying fourth for Ferrari.
The Ferrari duo gave their tifosi fans hope during practice, with Leclerc and Hamilton driving the iconic red and white livery to honour Niki Lauda's first world title win at Monza in 1975. Unfortunately, Lewis Hamilton will start fifth due to a five-place grid penalty.
The knockout qualifying session on the high-speed circuit was tight, with George Russell leading the first session of qualifying in the Mercedes. Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls, who was third in Zandvoort, did not make it to the top ten shootout. Nico Hülkenberg in the Sauber missed out in the top ten shootout, while Gabriel Bortoleto progressed further.
Helmut Marko, Verstappen's motorsport advisor, believes Verstappen can win the Italian Grand Prix. Verstappen impressed in the long runs during Friday's practice, setting the fastest time in the top ten shootout and being untouchable.
The Italian Grand Prix is scheduled for 3:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sky. Don't miss out on the action as the drivers battle it out for position on the iconic Monza circuit.
