Pierre Gasly claims Italian GP pole as George Russell finishes second
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 5, 2026, 9:56 PM
Last updated Sep 5, 2026
Pierre Gasly secured the first pole position of his Formula 1 career during qualifying for the Italian GP at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. George Russell will start from second place after being denied the top spot by Gasly’s late effort. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff alleged that an incident involving Max Verstappen during the final run compromised Russell’s lap time. Russell stated that Verstappen braked heavily into Turn 11, which disrupted the field's preparation for their final attempts. The FIA did not investigate or summon Verstappen for the incident. Verstappen is set to start Sunday’s race from fifth position on the grid. While Russell remains in a strong starting position, the Mercedes camp has expressed frustration regarding the circumstances surrounding the final qualifying laps.
- •Pierre Gasly earned his first career pole position at Monza.
- •George Russell qualified in second place for the Italian GP.
- •Toto Wolff blamed Max Verstappen for hindering Russell's final qualifying lap.
- •Max Verstappen will start the race from the fifth position.
- •The FIA did not launch an investigation into the late-session traffic incident.
- 9:56 PMYahoo Sports — Max Verstappen factor emerges after George Russell misses out on Italian GP pole
"George Russell will start the Italian GP from second on the grid after missing out on pole position to Pierre Gasly, with Max Verstappen emerging as a factor in Mercedes’ qualifying disappointment. The Mercedes driver appeared to be in contention for pole at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, but Gasly produced a superb final lap to claim the first pole of his Formula 1 career.
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