Pierre Gasly secured his first-ever pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, edging out George Russell by just 0.060 seconds at the iconic Monza circuit. Russell took second place, while McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished third. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth and fifth, respectively, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen came in sixth. Lando Norris of McLaren qualified ninth after facing some difficulties during the session. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh but will start from the back of the grid due to a penalty related to an engine change. Gasly's achievement marks the first pole position for a French driver since Jean Alesi in 1997, also at Monza. This is a significant milestone for Gasly, who previously won his only Formula 1 race at Monza in 2020 while driving for AlphaTauri. Gasly described the performance as incredible, saying he felt the car was strong from the first lap in the qualifying session and expressed excitement about the potential advantage it could provide in the race. Gasly's pole position came a day after Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore criticized an FIA judge for having a "working relationship" with McLaren following an appeal that resulted in Gasly being stripped of his podium finish from the Monaco Grand Prix. Russell had been the favorite for pole position, but Gasly's performance surprised many observers. Ferrari's performance in qualifying was below expectations, with both Leclerc and Hamilton failing to shine despite using an upgraded engine. Piastri's third-place finish was a positive result for the Australian driver, though he faced challenges during the session, including a lock-up at the first chicane. Norris was affected by Piastri's mistake, which caused him to drop from seventh to ninth. Antonelli's grid penalty gives Russell a chance to reduce the 59-point gap in the championship. Verstappen described his car as broken and undriveable during the session, which affected his performance.