Max Verstappen celebrates a standout achievement, securing the pole position at the Italian Grand Prix with a groundbreaking lap time.
In the thrilling qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing secured the pole position, setting a new track record at Monza. His time of 1 minute 18.792 seconds beat Lewis Hamilton's 2020 record by a narrow margin of 0.095 seconds.
Starting right behind Verstappen will be Lando Norris of McLaren, who finished a close second, just 0.077 seconds behind the Dutch driver. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completed the top three, demonstrating a strong performance despite a slight misstep in his second qualifying run.
Fernando Alonso will start the race in eighth position for Aston Martin, while Yuki Tsunoda will line up ninth for Red Bull. Mercedes pair George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will start the race in fifth and sixth positions respectively.
Besides Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin, the Italian Grand Prix in 2025 also features AlphaTauri, with Isack Hadjar driving for Racing Bull (a junior team of Red Bull). Oscar Piastri completed the top four for AlphaTauri, expressing his disappointment at not securing a higher grid position. Gabriel Bortoleto will start the race in seventh position for Sauber.
Leclerc described his qualifying lap as "very close to perfect," while Norris expressed his intention to make up some spots during the race. Hamilton remained upbeat despite his grid penalty and paid tribute to the Italian fans at Monza, describing them as "beautiful" and the energy since Wednesday as "amazing."
This is Verstappen's 45th career pole, surpassing Sebastian Vettel's record with Red Bull. Verstappen last won a race at Imola back on May 18, and he will be aiming to add another victory to his tally at Monza. Leclerc, who won at the circuit last year, had no regrets about his qualifying performance and is ready to take on the challenge of the race.
The Italian Grand Prix is set to be an exciting race, with close competition among the top drivers. Fans at Monza are in for a treat as they witness the battle for the podium unfold.
