Carlos Sainz will start the Italian Grand Prix from Pole Position after delighting the home Tifosi at Monza. Here is a recap of what happened during the qualifying session.
It was an impressive session for Alpha Tauri, who looked like they were enjoying being at home as both drivers made it through to Q2.
In only his second Qualifying session, Liam Lawson finished 12th and ahead of George Russell in a much more positive session than in Zandvoort, even more so when considering the small margins that separate drivers around this high-speed circuit with little room for errors.
If Lawson was impressive, Yuki Tsunoda was on another planet as he ended the session with an astonishing fourth place, with the Japanese driver setting a purple first sector on the way to top five finish.
Oscar Piastri had a slightly shaky session in comparison, as he was found to have breached track limits, dropping him into the bottom five with just 90 seconds of the session to go. Luckily, the Aussie set a time on his final lap good enough to finish the session 11th.
Alpine, on the other hand, had extreme struggles in Qualifying as they took a huge step backward compared to the last time out in the Netherlands.
An error from Ocon ruined his session, as he exited the last section of Ascari, with the Frenchman experiencing a slight snap of understeer, which was enough to send his two right tyres across the gravel damaging the right side of the floor.
Both drivers exited the session in 17th and 18th as their season of extreme highs and lows continued.
Zhou Guanyu finished the session in 16th and only +0.047s from progressing into Q2 as the sole Alfa Romeo eliminated in this session.
19th was Kevin Magnussen alongside a disappointing 20th for Lance Stroll who has had little preparation for the weekend after missing both practice sessions due to mechanical issues in the second and Felipe Drugovich taking the first session.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Max Verstappen was top with a 1m:21.573s just +0.088s quicker than Alex Albon in an outstanding session for Williams.
Leading the Ferrari charge in third was Charles Leclerc as Sergio Perez in the sister Red Bull wrapped up the top five.
Qualifying Two.
Lewis Hamilton struggled at the start of the second part of Qualifying as he only set a time good enough for 12th position.
He seemed upset with the car as he stated over the radio that he had “no grip”.
Fortunately, the Brit was able to find some pace as he jumped up to sixth place by the end of the session making it to Q3.
After an impressive Q1 Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson’s day ended in this session finishing 11th and 12th, with Tsunoda just +0.013s from making it to the next part of Qualifying.
Hulkenberg in the highest Haas car will start tomorrow in unlucky 13th position, with the other sole Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas in 14th.
Disappointingly, Logan Sargent only set a time worthy of 15th, 10 positions lower than his teammate Alex Albon who ended the session in fifth and 14-0 in their Qualifying battle.
On their first timed runs, both Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz held a one-two, with the Spanish driver leading the way for the prancing horse.
Max Verstappen as usual, was the biggest threat of taking away their home Pole as he still had a bucket full of time left to find as his right tyres brushed the outside gravel trap at turn five.
When it came down to it though Carlos Sainz will start tomorrow in P1 as he set a time of 1m:20.294s, beating out Verstappen by +0.013s showing what a mega lap it was from the Spaniard.
Charles Leclerc in third wasn’t far off Pole himself as he was only +0.067s from starting at the front of the field instead, he will now line up alongside fourth-placed George Russell.
Fifth perhaps disappointingly was Sergio Perez, who was joined on the third row by Alex Albon who set a few mini-purple sectors, but his overall time was only good enough for sixth.
Then rounding out the top ten were the rest of the Mercedes power units with Oscar Piastri in seventh, Lewis Hamilton in eighth, Lando Norris ninth, and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten.
Earlier in the day, Free Practice Three took place. Here are some of the key moments from the final hour of running before qualifying.
Sainz set the script for Qualifying in Practise three as he was fastest with a time of 1m:20.912s, again only beating Verstappen by +0.086s.
Hamilton ended this session in third just over half a second off Sainz, followed closely by Charles Leclerc in fourth.
Fernando Alonso and George Russell finished this session in a decent fifth and sixth position.
It was a Haas row four as Kevin Magnussen led Nico Hulkenberg as they took seventh and eighth.
Finally, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez rounded out the final Practise before Qualifying in ninth and tenth position.