Pierre Gasly secured a surprise pole position for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix on Saturday, giving Alpine its first-ever pole in Formula 1 and putting the team at the front of the grid ahead of Mercedes and McLaren.
Gasly set a time of 1:21.786 to take pole, finishing just 0.060 seconds ahead of George Russell. Oscar Piastri was third, 0.180 seconds off the pace, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen will start sixth for Red Bull, while Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh for Mercedes. However, Antonelli will serve a grid penalty and start from the back, promoting Gasly’s Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto from eighth to seventh. Lando Norris will also move up from ninth to eighth, while Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad will start ninth.
Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, who qualified 11th, will therefore move up to 10th on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
The result was a major surprise, with Gasly becoming the first driver outside Mercedes and McLaren to take pole this season. He joins Antonelli, who has six pole positions, Russell with four and Norris with two as the only drivers to have taken pole in 2026.
Mercedes power also remains a major factor at the front. Mercedes, McLaren and Alpine all use Mercedes power units, meaning the German manufacturer has powered every pole-winning team so far this season.
Gasly will now look to turn his qualifying success into his second Formula 1 victory. His only previous F1 win came at Monza in 2020, when he took his maiden victory at the same circuit.
The Frenchman faces a tough challenge on Sunday, with Russell starting directly behind him. The Mercedes driver will be looking to add a third win of the season, while Piastri, Leclerc, Hamilton and Verstappen will also start within striking distance.
The Italian Grand Prix is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 6.
