The beaming grin on Max Verstappen’s face showed what claiming pole position for the Italian Grand Prix meant to him and his Red Bull team. As records fell in a blur of speed at Monza, the world champion was perhaps the most unlikely victor after an impossibly tight contest.
The transformation since the 2024 Italian GP could not have been more stark. Over a tumultuous 12 months Verstappen has clung on to seal his fourth title last season, seen long-term Red Bull team principal Christian Horner be sacked and the team comprehensively out-paced by McLaren. Here, they at last found a sweet spot that has been sorely lacking.
In beating the two McLaren title contenders, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, into second and third, Verstappen was immense. Both conceded they had been fairly bested at a track where last season an angry Verstappen described his car as an “undriveable monster” as he qualified seventh and finished sixth.
The Red Bull has not traditionally been strong on the high-speed challenge of Monza where around 70% of the 3.6-mile circuit is taken at full throttle. Yet on Saturday in the Lombardi sunshine it was barrelling around the track with abandon in Verstappen’s hands.
His final lap, with a time of 1 minute 18.792 seconds, was the fastest in F1 history, averaging more than 164.46mph and breaking Lewis Hamilton’s record set here in 2020.
1 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:18.792,
2 Lando Norris (GB) McLaren 1:18.869,
3 Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:18.982,
4 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:19.007,
5 Lewis Hamilton (GB) Ferrari 1:19.124,
6 George Russell (GB) Mercedes GP 1:19.157,
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli (It) Mercedes GP 1:19.200,
8 Gabriel Bortoleto (Br) Kick Sauber 1:19.390,
9 Fernando Alonso (Sp) Aston Martin 1:19.424,
10 Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Red Bull 1:19.519,
11 Oliver Bearman (GB) Haas F1 1:19.446,
12 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Kick Sauber 1:19.498,
13 Carlos Sainz Jr (Sp) Williams 1:19.528,
14 Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:19.583,
15 Esteban Ocon (Fr) Haas F1 1:19.707,
16 Isack Hadjar (Fr) RB 1:19.917,
17 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:19.948,
18 Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine 1:19.992,
19 Pierre Gasly (Fr) Alpine 1:20.103,
20 Liam Lawson (NZ) RB 1:20.279
“I think that final lap was pretty decent and to get pole here for us is big,” he said. “It’s not always been a good track for us, especially last year was quite a bit of a disaster, so this year much better and very happy to be first.”
It was a day when the form book was being largely ignored as Ferrari, at their home race, also found another gear. Hamilton, on his debut for the Scuderia at Monza was greeted with an immense roar that echoed across the Parco di Monza as he emerged onto the track when the session opened and by its close he and teammate Charles Leclerc were in the mix at least, claiming fourth and fifth, although Hamilton will start in 10th, having incurred a five-place grid penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Fourth and fifth is not where Ferrari want to be but the fact that Hamilton and Leclerc were within two-tenths of the front will be taken as a positive result.
Hamilton had also been enjoying the experience of his first Italian GP as a Ferrari driver. “So far, it has been incredible, amazing. I don’t know what other word I can find for it,” he said. “The Tifosi are everywhere, they are hiding behind trees. There are so many of them. As you leave the track they are on both sides as far as you can go and it is incredible to see the love that people have for this team. There is nothing like it.”
The margins were tiny and the top spot was briefly in the hands of each of the frontrunners, only for Verstappen to come through at the last to clinch pole, a remarkable effort in a car that is not ordinarily able to compete with the dominant McLarens.
It is a huge fillip for Verstappen as his fifth pole of the year will go a little way to provide optimism as the team adapts after the dismissal of Horner and his replacement by Laurent Mekies. The pole was Mekies’ first as Red Bull team principal since he took over after the British Grand Prix and since which Verstappen has put an end to speculation surrounding his future by confirming he would definitely be driving for them next year, even if he did not go as far as saying he would stick out his contract to 2028.
Certainly the matter is closed for the moment at least, as he looks to focus on pulling off something of a coup against McLaren on Sunday. It will remain no little task to keep them behind him but the pace is potentially there to do so.
For Norris, however, the fight is surely with his teammate more than the Dutchman. He did at least put himself ahead of Piastri, a vital moment for his title hopes given he trails the Australian by 34 points in the championship, after having to retire at the last round in Zandvoort.
Their battle endured its own moment of high drama when Norris had a real scare in Q2. He was too eager in to turn one and had to abort his first hot lap. He went out again and without a time, had to stay out and complete a sequence of one hot lap and two cool down laps before crossing the line at the very last to start a final quick run, which proved just enough to see him safely through to Q3. Starting 11th would have been another hammer blow to his title chances but the British driver held his nerve and the fight, likely a humdinger, goes on to Sunday.
