Lando Norris takes Pole Position in Monza

Lando Norris led a surprising McLaren 1-2 in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, as championship leader Max Verstappen found himself in an uncharacteristic seventh place.

Q1 began with drama as Verstappen and Oscar Piastri were involved in a pit lane incident, with the McLaren released into the Red Bull's path. This matter was set for post-qualifying investigation by the stewards.

Q2 faced a delay of nearly 10 minutes as marshals cleared gravel from multiple areas of the track. This session saw the elimination of notable drivers including Fernando Alonso, who could only manage 11th for Aston Martin.

Q3

The final showdown in Q3 saw Norris set the pace early with a 1m19.401s lap, closely followed by teammate Piastri.

Verstappen, struggling with car control, initially found himself down in eighth after a major snap at the Parabolica.

As the clock ticked down, drivers made their final attempts.

Verstappen improved slightly but remained seventh, while Norris further lowered his time to 1m19.327s, securing a sensational pole position.

Piastri held onto second, with George Russell claiming third for Mercedes.

The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz filled the third row, followed by Lewis Hamilton in sixth.

Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10 for Williams and Haas respectively.

This result marks a significant shift in the usual qualifying order, setting the stage for an unpredictable and exciting Italian Grand Prix.