P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren Formula 1 team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the front row for the Italian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen endured a nightmare qualifying session at Monza
McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured the front row at the Italian Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen struggled with grip and ended up in seventh, behind teammate Sergio Perez. Verstappen described his qualifying as “shocking,” as he couldn’t improve his position despite Perez’s gravel incident. This setback for Red Bull puts their 30-point lead over McLaren in the constructors’ championship at risk. Norris, who sits 70 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, claimed his fourth pole position of the season with a time of 1m19.327s. Piastri’s second-place is under investigation for a potential unsafe release, with George Russell in third for Mercedes. Other notable performances include the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz in fourth and fifth, respectively, and a surprising 11th-place finish for Aston Martin’s Alonso. The session also saw newcomer Franco Colapinto and others compromised by yellow flags, with Lance Stroll ending up 17th and Yuki Tsunoda in 16th, citing a spec difference as problematic. Bottas qualified 19th for Sauber, disappointed with the result and believing it could have been better without encountering yellow flags.
