We have a new pole sitter in the Formula 1 history books.
Pierre Gasly earned his first pole position at the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday, Sept. 5. Monza is the same circuit where the French driver got his maiden F1 win in 2020.
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With two minutes left in Q3, the 10 remaining drivers took a moment in the garage and Gasly was sitting in third place. Once back on the track, George Russell was in the provisional pole and improved his time to 1:21.846. As the last driver to complete the circuit after time expired, Gasly bested the Brit and posted a lap of 1:21.786, giving him his first pole position.
“Let’s go! I’ve been waiting for that one!” Gasly yelled into the team radio after crossing the finish line.
Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, came and gave Gasly a handshake after pulling into parc fermé. Then, the Alpine driver climbed out of his car and raised a fist in the air.
“It was amazing. Thank you everyone. It was an incredible quali,” Gasly said in his post-session interview. “From the first lap in Q1, I felt very good in the car. Trying to chip a little bit away every single session and then, yeah, in the end, it felt like a very good lap.
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“But I’m so happy. It’s been nine years trying to chase and get the opportunity to get a pole position. Win my first race in Monza, get my first pole position on this track I think is something special.”
Russell will start Sunday’s race in second on the grid next to Gasly. The Mercedes driver revealed that he and Gasly were playing a game of chess moments before the qualifying session.
“He beat me there, and I thought, ‘Well, I think I’ll beat you in qualifying’ and here we are. He’s ahead of me again,” Russell laughed. “So huge congrats to him.”
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified for third, but will start in sixth place after receiving a grid penalty for impeding. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes qualified in seventh and will race from the pit lane due to an engine penalty. Piastri’s Alpine teammate, Franco Colapinto, will be in seventh, one place in front of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who has won the last two races.
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Gasly’s accomplishment came a day after his Monaco podium was taken away three months after the race. Initially, the French driver finished third in the historic grand prix. Moments after the podium celebration, he was given two 10-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. He dropped to seventh place and Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar was elevated to third. Alpine requested for the penalties to be reviewed and they won their petition, reinstating Gasly to third place. Red Bull Racing and McLaren filed their own petition to have the penalties reinstated, and they won.
Gasly has been racing for Alpine, a French outfit, since 2023. A year ago, he signed a contract extension through 2028. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2017 at the Malaysian Grand Prix as a replacement for Daniil Kvyat on the Toro Rosso team (which became AlphaTauri and is now Racing Bulls).
Does Pierre Gasly have a Formula 1 win?
Yes, Pierre Gasly’s lone F1 win came at Monza, the same circuit where he captured his first pole position. He won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix for AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls).
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How many F1 podiums does Pierre Gasly have?
Pierre Gasly has five podiums in Formula 1, including his lone win at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.
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2nd place – 2019 Brazil Grand Prix with Toro Rosso
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1st place – 2020 Italian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri
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3rd place – 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with AlphaTauri
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3rd place – 2023 Dutch Grand Prix with Alpine
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3rd place – 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix with Alpine
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pierre Gasly gets first pole position in Formula 1 after Monaco controversy
