Pierre Gasly has claimed the first pole position of his Formula 1 career at Monza, returning to the circuit where he scored his only Grand Prix victory six years ago to deliver another remarkable result. The Alpine driver beat George Russell by just 0.060 seconds after the Enstone team exploited the characteristics of the A526 and took a major risk with the timing of its final Q3 run.
The result completed an extraordinary turnaround in the space of 24 hours for Pierre Gasly. His Italian Grand Prix weekend had begun with the disappointment of the FIA International Court of Appeal decision that stripped him of the third place he had secured at Monaco, a race to which he attaches particular importance. Even his most devoted supporters could hardly have imagined that a day later he would experience one of the greatest moments of his career by taking his maiden F1 pole position.
Pierre Gasly rebounds from Monaco disappointment with first F1 pole
“It’s the story of my life,” Pierre Gasly smiled as he reflected on the previous 24 hours. “I would gladly have done without the news that came yesterday, but that’s another story. Now there are only pure emotions. We work incredibly hard and when you’re rewarded like this, these feelings are priceless. That’s why I do it.”
Pierre Gasly achieved it at the same circuit where he won for AlphaTauri in 2020, another extraordinary upset. The only element missing from that remarkable day was the celebration beneath one of the most coveted podiums of the season, with Covid restrictions having closed the circuit to spectators.
“I don’t know what it is about this place,” Pierre Gasly admitted. “I took my first victory here and obviously Monza holds a special place in my heart.”
This time, Pierre Gasly was able to celebrate properly. The celebrations began at the Prima Variante, when race engineer Josh Peckett confirmed over the radio that he had secured pole position, and continued all the way back to the pit lane.
Having made Milan his adopted home, Pierre Gasly even broke with protocol by speaking Italian during his first interviews. The gesture was warmly appreciated by the Monza crowd, which gave him an enthusiastic reception. If the hero of the day was not going to be one of the home favourites, an outsider was perhaps the next-best option – and Pierre Gasly certainly won over the Italian fans.
Alpine pace was genuine rather than a single ‘magic’ lap
Based on the pre-weekend expectations, Pierre Gasly’s pole can certainly be described as an upset. However, Alpine’s result was not simply the product of one “magic” lap appearing at precisely the right moment.
Pierre Gasly himself admitted that the target before qualifying had been far more modest.
“This morning we were aiming for Q3. I felt good with the car and that feeling stayed with me in qualifying. When I found myself first in Q1, I thought it was a little strange and that the others would raise their pace. Instead, we just kept going like that.”
The speed of the Alpine became apparent immediately when Pierre Gasly topped Q1. It attracted plenty of attention, although at that stage it still looked somewhat unexpected. Fourth place in Q2, less than two tenths behind championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli, then confirmed that Pierre Gasly was genuinely operating among the leading contenders, even if pole position still appeared unlikely.
By the final runs in Q3, it had become clear that the battle would be decided by hundredths of a second. That was when the racing instinct of Alpine’s Enstone operation came to the fore.
Alpine risks everything with late Q3 run
The current Alpine team has roots stretching back through difficult decades and glorious periods under the Benetton, Renault, Lotus and then Renault names. One characteristic has remained constant through those different eras: the Enstone operation has always possessed a particularly strong trackside racing mentality.
Monza provided another example. With both cars through to Q3, Alpine could have adopted a conservative strategy and avoided unnecessary risk. Instead, it was the final team to send its cars out of the garage, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto crossing the start-finish line just six seconds before the chequered flag.
Any unexpected problem on the out-lap would have ruined their final attempts.
Instead, Pierre Gasly not only managed to begin his lap in time, but also benefited from a perfectly positioned slipstream from Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari. The tow contributed to the tiny margin that ultimately separated him from George Russell: with only 0.060 seconds deciding pole, every detail mattered.
Pierre Gasly then completed the job himself.
“On that final lap I really managed to get everything out of it. I’ve been in Formula 1 for nine years and I’d never taken a pole position. I think I’ve often put together good qualifying laps, but I’d never really been in a position where I could fight for pole. Today was different.”
Why the Alpine A526 came alive at Monza
The A526 also proved to be a surprisingly competitive car around the Temple of Speed. Pierre Gasly did not take part in FP1 on Friday after handing his car over to Paul Aron, before finishing 14th in FP2. He then improved to ninth in FP3 – a respectable result, but hardly one that suggested what would happen three hours later.
Yet it was towards the end of final practice that Pierre Gasly began to find the feeling with the car that would allow him to raise the bar progressively throughout qualifying.
The A526 is not a Formula 1 car that excels in terms of aerodynamic load. That weakness creates difficulties at most circuits, but at Monza it can become an advantage, at least over a single lap, because the circuit rewards low drag and straight-line efficiency.
Pierre Gasly realistic about Alpine’s race chances
The major question is whether Alpine’s surprising qualifying competitiveness can be maintained over a full race distance. Based on the long-run data from Friday, it is difficult to imagine Pierre Gasly being able to fight outright for victory, while even a podium may require circumstances to provide the team with something extra.
Pierre Gasly himself does not pretend to have the answer.
“There are so many unknowns. This is Formula 1, you can’t control everything. I don’t know where we’ll finish tomorrow, I just hope I can stay in front for as long as possible. I know that once again the predictions won’t be on our side, but we’re not here for predictions. We’re here to give our maximum. I’ll do everything I can to be ready for the race and you can be sure I’ll fight all the way.”
What is certain is that Pierre Gasly will start from the best possible position on a circuit where slipstreaming, strategy and energy management are expected to make the race particularly complex. The wider 2026 Formula 1 championship battle will also add another layer to Sunday’s race, with George Russell starting alongside Pierre Gasly while championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli faces a grid penalty.
There is also one precedent that gives Pierre Gasly confidence, at least emotionally.
“The positive thing is that I already know what it’s like to have nobody ahead of me at this track. If there’s one place where I’m happy to start from pole, it’s here.”
Six years after his Monza victory, Pierre Gasly gets another chance from the front
Six years after that unforgettable Sunday in the surreal silence of a circuit closed to spectators, Pierre Gasly will once again have the front of the Monza grid in front of him.
In 2020, he delivered one of Formula 1’s great surprise victories but could not share the moment with packed grandstands. This time, when the lights go out for the Italian Grand Prix, everything that was missing from that extraordinary afternoon six years ago will surround him.
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