P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Sainz beats Verstappen to win home pole for Ferrari
Carlos Sainz claimed pole position for the Italian Grand Prix, narrowly beating Max Verstappen in an exciting qualifying session at Monza. Ferrari initially struggled in the earlier qualifying segments but improved once the soft tires were introduced. Sainz led his teammate Charles Leclerc for a provisional front-row lockout, with Verstappen in third. The final runs saw little difference between the top three drivers, but Sainz secured pole with a blistering middle sector. Despite missing out on pole, Verstappen remained confident in Red Bull’s race pace. George Russell placed fourth, while Mercedes had a disappointing qualifying session. Sergio Perez will start fifth, followed closely by Alex Albon in sixth. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris claimed seventh and ninth, respectively, with Lewis Hamilton in eighth place.
Source: Racer.com
