By: Everything appeared set for George Russell to take pole position, but it was Pierre Gasly celebrating on Saturday in Brianza after producing a superb lap to secure the first pole of his career.
The Frenchman once again showed his special affinity with Italy (he has chosen to live in Milan since his Toro Rosso days), and above all with Monza. It was at the Temple of Speed that he had already claimed his first victory in 2020 at the wheel of the AlphaTauri. The Rouen-born driver’s surprising result was built over the course of the entire session, as he topped Q1 before finishing fourth in Q2.
What can be expected in the race?
Overall, the Alpine team did an excellent job in terms of execution and car set-up. It is true that the A526 benefits from the Mercedes Power Unit, but its limited downforce generation has, on the other hand, become a useful trump card at Monza.
Confirmation of this can be found in the onboard footage from Gasly and Colapinto – who is also benefiting from the upgrades this weekend and will start from seventh on the grid tomorrow – which shows the stability of the Enstone car, particularly from Lesmo 1 onwards.
Friday’s simulations suggest that Gasly is unlikely to keep those starting behind him at bay, with the French driver lapping in the 1m27s while his rivals were, on average, one second faster. But if there is one place where Pierre knows he can dream, it is certainly Monza...
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