Pierre Gasly's 'nine-year' chase ends with stunning Monza pole

Pierre Gasly ended a nine-year wait for his first Formula 1 pole position in dramatic fashion at the Italian Grand Prix, putting his Alpine on top with a 1:21.786 lap. The Frenchman edged George Russell by just 0.080 seconds to become the 109th different polesitter in F1 history — and the first for Alpine since its rebranding.

Why it matters:

Gasly's pole is a landmark moment for both driver and team. Alpine has struggled for consistency since entering F1 in 2021, and this is the first pole for the Enstone squad since Fernando Alonso at the 2009 Hungarian GP. It also ends a 29-year drought for French drivers at Monza, with Jean Alesi the last to start from P1 at this track in 1997.

The details:

• Gasly topped Q1 and carried momentum through qualifying, calling the session "incredible" and saying he felt "very good in the car" from the start.
• His 1:21.786 lap was just 0.080s quicker than Russell's Mercedes, with the rest of the field further back.
• This is Gasly's first pole in 191 attempts, and the first new polesitter since Kimi Antonelli in China earlier this season.
• It comes at the same track where Gasly took his maiden F1 win in 2020, adding to the sense of occasion.
• The result also follows a difficult spell for Gasly, who lost a podium at Monaco earlier this year.

What's next:

Gasly will aim to convert his first pole into a memorable win at Monza, where overtaking is possible but track position is precious. Alpine's straight-line speed has been strong all weekend, and with Russell and the Ferraris close behind, Sunday's race promises to be a tense battle.