The sun beamed down on the roaring Tifosi ahead of F1 Qualifying at the 2025 Italian GP. After a tight battle, Max Verstappen took pole, and Lando Norris in 2nd set a new track record. It was a disappointing day for Ferrari however, with Leclerc in 4th and Hamilton 5th.
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Q1: Double Elimination for Two Teams.
F1 Qualifying at the 2025 Italian GP commenced with the Mercedes drivers both on mediums, in contrast to the rest of the grid on softs.
Max Versrappen pushed his car to the limits a coupe of times, really pushing how wide he could take some of the tricky Monza turns.
With nine minutes left of Q1, neither of the Williams’ cars had a time set. Carlos Sainz had a lap time deleted for exceeding the white line at turn 7, which was a disappointment for the team. However, Carlos was quick to turn this around with 7 minutes to go, by setting a lap fast enough to place him in p3.
Both Alpines and both RBs failed to place their cars out of the elimination zone, which will be a disappointment for Pierre Gasly who has recently extended his Alpine contract until 2028. Alpine had suspected that they would struggle here in Monza.
Lance Stroll also failed to reach Q2.
Q2: Heartbreak for Williams
A small delay to Q2 was caused due to gravel which needed sweeping off of the track. However, it wasn’t long until the cars got back on track. Ready to battle for a spot in the top 10.
Verstappen went top after a great first lap on some fresh soft tyres. He challenged the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, and the Mercedes of George Russell.
Lando Norris was called into the pits with 9 minutes to go. He had a change of tyres and a car check after locking up and cutting a corner the previous lap.
Norris really had to fight to the line in Q2, starting his final lap in P11. After a tow from his teammate, Norris managed to secure a spot into Q3.
Q3: Disappointment for Ferrari
Q3 delivered plenty of nail biting moments, one of which coming from Mercedes. Russel entered the pits for new tyres and left with softs. He soon came onto the radio to ask why he was on soft compounds, after stating he had requested mediums.
Charles Leclerc had a brief grasp of pole position near the start of Q3, however that dream of a Monza pole was soon stripped away by the McLarens. He finished Qualifying in P4.
Lewis Hamilton took P5, meaning he will start 10th in Monza, after a 5 place grid penalty from last weekend.
Max Verstappen secured top spot after an incredible final lap in Monza, which will be a relief for the RedBull team.
Feature Image Credit: EverythingF1.com