F1 Focus from Monza: Gasly’s shock pole and Antonelli’s home masterclass

From Monza, where he is covering the Italian Grand Prix, Flashscore’s Harry Dunnett shares his on-the-ground thoughts in the latest edition of our Formula 1 column.

It would take all day to dissect everything that unfolded at the Italian Grand Prix after an extraordinary weekend at Monza in 2026.

This was not only the race of the season so far; it was an all-time Monza classic. That is quite a statement considering the Italian Grand Prix is one of the most historic events on the F1 calendar and has produced countless iconic moments over the years.

Nobody could have predicted the chaos that unfolded on a Super Sunday for the ages. But after a remarkable qualifying session on Saturday, perhaps we should not have been quite so surprised by a race that delivered almost everything.

The headline story was, quite rightly, Kimi Antonelli’s stunning charge through the field before eventually getting the better of his Mercedes teammate George Russell.

But Saturday belonged to an altogether different driver.

Gasly delivers a qualifying shock

Yes, you read that correctly: the 2026 Italian Grand Prix pole sitter was Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Had Gasly been driving a Mercedes or Ferrari, his sensational pole position might not have come as such a surprise. But the Frenchman had been at the sharp end from the very beginning of qualifying.

Gasly topped the timing sheets in Q1 and finished just 0.195 seconds behind Antonelli in Q2, comfortably progressing to the top-10 shootout in fourth place.

However, as Russell pointed out during the post-qualifying press conference, it is not unusual to see midfield teams feature prominently in Q1 and Q2 before the major teams unleash their full performance in Q3.

The final shootout is usually where the fastest cars and championship contenders establish their superiority. More often than not, the midfield team that looked so impressive earlier in qualifying — Racing Bulls have been a familiar example — falls away when the pressure is at its highest.

Alpine, however, was different.

The team’s pace throughout Saturday was striking and clearly more than a one-session fluke. Gasly genuinely had a chance to disrupt the established order at the front of the grid.

All he needed was the perfect Q3 lap.

No pressure, then.

Gasly breaks the established order

The funny thing about Q3 was that, despite all the evidence of Gasly’s pace during the opening two sessions, there was a feeling that the Frenchman had missed his chance.

When the big names had completed their final flying laps and Russell remained on provisional pole, it seemed as though the Mercedes driver had done enough.

Mercedes had looked quick throughout Friday’s practice sessions and, with Antonelli carrying a significant grid penalty, everything appeared to be falling into place for a routine Russell pole.

It would take something special to beat the Briton’s lap.

But Gasly has made a habit of extracting more from his machinery than many believe possible.

With Alpine suddenly looking capable of fighting at the front, perhaps it should not have been such a surprise when Gasly finally delivered the lap he had been threatening all afternoon.

He pipped Russell by just 0.065 seconds.

In a sport decided by the smallest of margins, Gasly certainly won’t care about the gap.

He was on pole position for the first time in his career.

More importantly, he proved something to the rest of the grid: the gap between the top teams and the midfield can be bridged.

For the first time under the current regulations, the former Monza winner gave the midfield genuine hope that the Mercedes and Ferraris of this world are not completely untouchable.

A mixed day for the home fans

Sunday arrived with another scorching day in the Monza sunshine.

With Gasly starting from pole and Antonelli at the back of the grid, there was an obvious sense that we could be in for an entertaining afternoon.

What followed was beyond anything anyone could have predicted.

From the opening lap to the chequered flag, there was almost always something happening.

One of the biggest questions heading into the race was how Ferrari’s two drivers would perform in front of an expectant Tifosi, who had packed the grandstands in their iconic red colours.

The answer came much sooner than anyone wanted.

Charles Leclerc crashed into the barriers on the second lap, instantly silencing a home crowd that had been roaring just moments earlier.

The shock around the circuit was palpable.

There was still some hope for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton remaining in contention for a strong result. But as the race progressed, it became increasingly clear that this was not going to be the seven-time world champion’s day.

Hamilton was overtaken by Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and eventually Lando Norris as the race unfolded.

The pace simply was not there compared with his rivals — or at least Hamilton could not find it on a weekend when he never looked entirely comfortable.

While Hamilton struggled, however, an unlikely story was beginning to unfold at the front.

Antonelli and Russell produce an epic Mercedes battle

Somehow, Antonelli had carved his way through the field and was suddenly battling for the lead with his Mercedes teammate Russell.

It was an extraordinary turnaround that seemed to happen almost in an instant.

Every time Antonelli completed another overtake, the roar from the grandstands grew louder.

Then, on lap 18, he took the lead for the first time.

The home crowd erupted.

Suddenly, the impossible looked possible.

What followed was an epic back-and-forth battle reminiscent of the two Mercedes drivers’ clash at the Canadian Grand Prix earlier in the season

Antonelli always appeared to have the pace advantage. And as the chequered flag approached, the championship leader began closing rapidly on his title rival.

There was late drama when Antonelli ran wide on his first attempt to make the decisive move.

But the Italian got it right the second time.

With just a handful of laps remaining, Antonelli completed the overtake and this time gave Russell no opportunity to fight back.

The 20-year-old had done it.

A maiden home victory at Monza, achieved in the most unlikely fashion.

Antonelli once again shows his special talent

After all the drama, mistakes, crashes and strategic gambles, the biggest story of all was that Antonelli had not merely protected his championship lead.

He had extended it.

Against all the odds.

What has been particularly striking throughout the chaos of this Formula 1 season is how calculated and businesslike Antonelli has remained.

Time and again, the young Italian has looked like one of the most mature drivers on the grid as he relentlessly pursues victory after victory.

His maiden Monza triumph was arguably his most impressive performance yet.

This is a driver who has gone from understudy to World Championship contender in the space of a single season.

Who could have predicted that 12 months ago, when Antonelli looked every inch the rookie at his first Italian Grand Prix?

Now, the only way appears to be up for this special young talent.

He had only just turned 20, yet he is driving with the composure of someone who has been competing at the highest level for years.

After a remarkable performance at his home race, Antonelli now has one hand firmly on the championship.

At this point, it is beginning to feel less like a question of if he will become world champion — and more a question of when.