Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has qualified on pole position for Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, seeing off the challenge of McLaren’s Lando Norris who will start from second.
Norris, who trails team-mate Oscar Piastri by 34 points in the drivers’ championship with nine rounds to go, suffered a scruffy session at the sun-cooked Temple of Speed before pulling out his best lap of the day in the closing moments.
Norris briefly took top spot in Monza only to be relegated by Red Bull’s Verstappen, who edged out Norris by 0.077 seconds.
Piastri will line up in third, more than a tenth back from Norris, with the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton fourth and fifth respectively.
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However, Hamilton will be relegated to 10th as he serves a five-place grid drop for his yellow flag infringement at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s P1 represents his first pole since the British Grand Prix in July. The Dutch driver improved with his final lap to set a track record in Monza of 1:18.792.
George Russell will line up from fifth, promoted a place following Hamilton’s grid sanction, one spot ahead of Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Isack Hadjar was brought back down to earth six days on from claiming his maiden podium last time out in Zandvoort.
Rookie Hadjar excelled to finish third last weekend, but the Racing Bulls have struggled for speed in Monza with Hadjar failing to make it out of Q1 to start Sunday’s race from 16th.
