Pierre Gasly’s surprise pole position at Monza came with an unexpected Ferrari connection, as Charles Leclerc jokingly suggested that advice he gave his close friend before qualifying may have contributed to the Alpine driver’s remarkable result.
The outcome of Italian Grand Prix qualifying had looked set to favour George Russell, with the two McLaren drivers also expected to feature prominently in the battle for the front of the grid. Instead, Alpine emerged as the surprise package and Gasly delivered when it mattered most, completing his strongest lap on the final Q3 attempt to secure pole. The result added another memorable Monza chapter for a driver whose only Formula 1 victory came at the same circuit in 2020.
Charles Leclerc jokes his Monza advice helped Pierre Gasly
The story behind Gasly’s pole began a day earlier. During Friday’s briefing, the Frenchman approached Leclerc with questions about Turns 6 and 7 at Monza. The Ferrari driver explained that the pair have a close relationship and rarely disagree, meaning they are comfortable exchanging small pieces of information that may help one another.
After watching Gasly move to the top of the timesheets in qualifying, Leclerc admitted that his immediate, light-hearted reaction was to wonder whether the advice he had provided had played a part. He then repeated the joke directly to Gasly when he went over to congratulate him in the car after the session.
The exchange reflected the friendship between the two drivers, but it also added an unusual detail to a qualifying result few had predicted. Gasly had looked competitive from the opening stages, yet taking first place against Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari remained a much bigger challenge. His final Q3 lap ultimately completed a surprise Italian GP pole for Alpine.
Pierre Gasly delivers when Monza qualifying matters most
Gasly’s pace became increasingly difficult to dismiss as qualifying developed. By the decisive final run in Q3, the Alpine driver was in position to capitalise, and he produced his best lap of the session when the pressure was at its highest.
Monza already holds a special place in Gasly’s Formula 1 career. He claimed his sole Grand Prix victory at the Italian circuit in 2020, making his latest qualifying performance another significant achievement at the Temple of Speed. Readers can explore more of the circuit’s history through the Monza F1 records and statistics.
The pole also provided a strong response following the setback involving Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium, which had been taken away on Friday at Monza. Against that backdrop, securing the best possible starting position for the Italian Grand Prix gave the Alpine driver an immediate reason to celebrate.
Charles Leclerc praises Gasly despite Alpine disadvantage
Beyond the joke about his own contribution, Leclerc made clear that he considered Gasly fully deserving of the result. The Monegasque praised his friend as an exceptional driver and felt that both Gasly and Alpine had put every element together perfectly during qualifying.
Leclerc also acknowledged that Alpine did not have what he regarded as the strongest car on the grid. In his view, however, the current generation of Formula 1 machinery can produce particularly significant results when a driver and team manage to execute every aspect of a lap correctly.
For that reason, Leclerc viewed Gasly’s pole as more than simply an unexpected qualifying result. He was genuinely delighted to see one of his closest friends take first place at Monza after maximising the opportunity available to him, even if the Ferrari driver could not resist claiming a small, humorous share of the credit.
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