Italian Grand Prix: Stunner in qualifying as Carlos Sainz Jr. tops Max Verstappen at Monza

It is qualifying day at Monza.

And Max Verstappen will look to inch closer to Formula 1 history.

The grid is in Italy for the Italian Grand Prix, and if Friday’s pair of practice sessions were any indication, the pace will be blazing today. Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, and Sergio Pérez were the three fastest drivers in the second practice session, with Norris’s teammate Oscar Piastri just of the pace set by Pérez.

But lurking behind them is Verstappen, who won at Monza a year ago. He will hope to avoid the “Monza Curse,” as there has not been a repeat winner of the Italian Grand Prix since Lewis Hamilton accomplished the feat in 2018. Since then each winner has failed to finished the race the following season.

Of course, if Verstappen can avoid the curse, and win at Monza, he will set a new standard in F1 with ten-straight victories.

We will have live analysis of all the qualifying action on Saturday, with the session set to begin just before 10:00 Eastern. So come back early and often!

All updates Eastern.

Q3

Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Update: 11:02: It’s Sainz! A brilliant pole position for the Ferrari driver.

Here is the top ten:

Sainz
Verstappen
Leclerc
Russell
Perez
Albon
Piastri
Hamilton
Norris
Alonso

Ferrari also gets some good news as the incident involving maximum lap times will get “no further action” from race stewards.

Update 11:01: Leclerc comes across and is on provisional pole, but Verstappen immediately grabs it from him.

But then it is Sainz! He comes across ahead of Verstappen and waiting for Russell and Hamilton. Can Mercedes pull off the stunner?

Update 11:00: Under 30 seconds left, and everything is on the line at Monza.

Update 10:58: Cars are roaring back onto the track, with Sainz, Leclerc, Verstappen, and Alonso the first four back on the circuit.

Update 10:57: All ten cars are back in the garage, setting the stage for a frenetic finish.

Update 10:54: The crowd roars as they see the results from the early runs: A Ferrari one-two at the top of the board with Sainz in P1, Leclerc in P2. Verstappen is third, Russell fourth, and Albon fifth.

Update 10:52: Verstappen is first in line, and he will set the marker here in Q3. Norris and Alonso are behind him.

A shaky moment for Verstappen as he dips his left side into the gravel for a moment.

Update 10:51: All ten remaining drivers are on the track for Q3, with the softs bolted on. This should be fun.

Update 10:49: With the Ferraris hunting pole, we give the photo of honor to the Tifosi.

Q2

Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images

Update 10:44: Here are the results from Q2:

Update 10:42: Tsunoda, Lawson, Hülkenberg, Bottas, and Sargeant are eliminated.

Here is the top ten from Q2:

Verstappen
Leclerc
Sainz
Pérez
Albon
Hamilton
Russell
Piastri
Alonso
Norris

Tsunoda missed out by just 0.013 on his second Q3 appearance this season.

Update 10:41: Sargent will be out, a week after advancing to his first Q3 in F1 history.

Update 10:38: Just over two minutes to go in Q2, and pit lane looks like the Capital Beltway on a Friday afternoon during the summer, as all 15 cars try and get on the track for their final push laps.

Update 10:34: Jittery times for Hamilton. He gets held up in traffic and his time is only good for 12th. He’s currently in the drop zone along with Hülkenberg, Lawson, Sargeant, and Bottas.

Update 10:31: The Tifosi roar to life as Sainz goes P1 and Leclerc into P2 early during Q2.

Here are the top ten after the early qualifying runs in Q2:

Sainz
Verstappen
Leclerc
Albon
Pérez
Alonso
Norris
Piastri
Tsunoda
Hülkenberg

Update 10:29: Green light is out for Q2, and the Red Bulls take to the track immediately. As a reminder, under the ATA rules drivers are required to use the mediums this session.

Update 10:28: Liam Lawson gets our photo of honor for advancing to Q2 for the first time in F1.

Q1

Photo by ANP via Getty Images

Update 10:28: Ferrari is under investigation for violating rules regarding maximum lap times.

Which, apparently, is a thing.

Update 10:27: Classification from Q1:

Update 10:21: Q1 comes to a close with a stunner: Both Alpines are out.

Here are the five eliminated drivers: Zhou, Gasly, Ocon, Magnussen, and Stroll.

Update 10:18: Leclerc jumps into P2, splitting the Red Bulls at the top of the board.

Update 10:15: Ocon is back in the garage as Alpine is concerned about floor damage following his slide into the gravel.

Update 10:11: Verstappen posts an absolute banger of a lap, right to P1. Ocon slides into the gravel, continuing what has been a difficult day for Alpine.

Update 10:09: Ten minutes left in Q1, and here is your top ten:

Albon
Russell
Pérez
Sainz
Sargeant
Zhou
Norris
Leclerc
Hamilton
Bottas

Both Alonso and Verstappen have had times deleted for exceeding track limits.

Update 10:09: Verstappen posts a lap which puts him to P1 for the moment, but the lap time is deleted for exceeding track limits.

Albon shortly thereafter jumps to P1. Again, we’re pushing agendas today friends.

Update 10:04: 15 of the 20 drivers are on the grid. The Ferraris and Aston Martins are still in the garage, as is Esteban Ocon from Alpine.

Update 10:01: Green lights at Monza. Things are underway.

Update 9:57: Q1 is set to get rolling at Monza. Let’s have some fun today pals.

Notes from FP3

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Update 9:55: F1TV’s Lawrence Barretto calls a top-three qualifying finish for Alex Albon.

We are manifesting, confirming priors, and pushing agendas today friends.

Update 9:44: F1 journalist Albert Fabrega confirms that Red Bull is changing out the Power Unit on Pérez’s RB19. They are switching to a PU already used this season, so he will not incur a grid penalty:

Update 9:43: F1TV is reporting that Red Bull is dealing with a Power Unit issue on Sergio Pérez’s car, and the team might be “changing” out the PU.

Update 9:42: If you need a refresher on the “Alternative Tyre Allocation” rules, we have you covered here.

Update 9:23: Here are the times from FP3:

Something to note regarding those times? The majority were set on softs. But as you can note from this taken moments before FP3 ended, Alex Albon pusted a top-ten time on the hard compound:

This weekend is another “Alternative Tyre Allocation” race, meaning teams are required to use hard tyres in Q1, then mediums in Q2 and finally the softs in Q3. That could bode well for Albon today.