Pierre Gasly produced one of the biggest qualifying surprises of the 2026 Formula 1 season by taking pole position for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, giving Alpine a remarkable return to the front of the grid. Flavio Briatore had predicted the possibility before Gasly delivered, and the Alpine executive adviser is now allowing himself to dream of victory while insisting a top-three or top-four finish is realistically within reach.
Much of the attention before qualifying had been focused on George Russell, the Mercedes slipstream tactics, Ferrari and a resurgent McLaren. Almost nobody outside the Alpine pit wall would have seriously backed the Enstone team to take pole.
Pierre Gasly shocks Monza with first Formula 1 pole
Gasly overturned every expectation with a superb final lap, beating George Russell by just 0.060 seconds to secure the first pole position of his Formula 1 career. The Frenchman had already shown strong pace throughout qualifying, but his final Q3 effort transformed Alpine from an outsider into the biggest story of Saturday at Monza.
The result was especially striking given the strength of the opposition. George Russell had looked like one of the clear favourites, Ferrari had shown encouraging speed during practice and McLaren had arrived in Italy after a strong run of recent results.
Instead, Gasly became the unexpected disruptor in a qualifying session that once again demonstrated how unpredictable the current Formula 1 field can be.
Flavio Briatore admits Alpine exceeded expectations
Seeing Alpine back on pole was an emotional moment for Flavio Briatore, a man who has experienced almost every possible high and low during his long career in Formula 1.
“Crying… now we’re exaggerating. But it had been 16 years since the team last took a pole. It’s a great satisfaction for the team, for everyone. For Pierre Gasly, who did an incredible job, and for Franco Colapinto.”
Colapinto also impressed during qualifying, initially setting the seventh-fastest time as Alpine successfully exploited the importance of the slipstream around Monza.
“Colapinto set the seventh-fastest time and the gaps are only a matter of a few tenths. We did a super job with the tows and we couldn’t have done any more than that today.”
Briatore says he predicted Pierre Gasly’s pole
Briatore revealed that Alpine’s pace had already convinced him a sensational result was possible before the decisive qualifying session.
“But we had already seen today that we were very, very competitive, so we were there. In my opinion we were missing one tenth, but earlier I said to David Sanchez, Alpine’s technical director: ‘I think we’re going to take pole today.’ And it happened.”
Gasly’s final lap of 1:21.786 ultimately delivered exactly that, placing the Alpine ahead of Russell and the rest of the leading contenders.
Alpine must decide whether to dream of Monza victory
Pole position is secured, but the most important points will be awarded in Sunday’s race. Alpine must now decide how aggressively it wants to approach a situation few expected it to face: defend first place and chase victory, or concentrate on converting pole into the strongest realistic result available.
Briatore has not entirely chosen between the two approaches, although his competitive instincts were difficult to hide.
“If you want to dream, you try to win. If you don’t want to dream, you try to finish in the top three or four, which is a result within our reach.”
Gasly will have George Russell alongside him near the front of the grid, while Ferrari and McLaren remain serious threats over a full race distance. With the field separated by small margins, Alpine knows that its work on strategy, starts and pit stops will be crucial if it wants to convert Saturday’s extraordinary result into a major Sunday finish.
Gasly pole gives Alpine immediate response after FIA disappointment
The timing of the result also carried extra significance after Pierre Gasly recently lost his Monaco Grand Prix podium following a decision by the FIA International Court of Appeal.
That controversy inevitably formed part of Briatore’s reaction after qualifying.
“It’s nice to be back at the front, also after what happened yesterday. Because what happened yesterday wasn’t nice at all. In any case, this shows that you always have to react. Even when things don’t go well, you always have to react.”
For an Alpine organisation still being rebuilt, Briatore believes a result of this magnitude can have an impact far beyond one qualifying session.
“When you have a team under construction, a result like this really gives everyone a huge boost in confidence. It means we are becoming good and we can work with more calmness,” Briatore concluded.
Gasly’s pole has suddenly changed the complexion of the Italian Grand Prix. Alpine arrived at Monza as an outsider and will start Sunday with a genuine opportunity to fight near the front. Whether the team chooses to dream of victory or protect a more realistic top-four result, it has already produced one of the most unexpected moments of the 2026 season.
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