Pierre Gasly took a shock pole position for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, edging out Mercedes' George Russell by just 0.060 seconds in one of the more surprising qualifying results of the season. The result is significant given the Frenchman qualified only 11th at the previous race in the Netherlands despite Alpine's major car upgrade, and it makes him the first French driver to take pole since Jean Alesi in 1997. It also comes a day after Gasly lost his Monaco Grand Prix podium finish when the FIA Court of Appeal reinstated a penalty from June.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri qualified third, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, though Piastri faces a possible grid penalty for impeding Red Bull's Liam Lawson. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh for Mercedes but will start from the back due to an engine-related grid penalty, while Lando Norris could only manage ninth after a difficult session for the world champion. Russell said he had compromised his final lap by running too close behind Max Verstappen, but described starting second as "a good place to start."