The F1 qualifying results for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza produced a major surprise as Pierre Gasly secured a stunning pole position for Alpine.
Gasly set a final Q3 time of 1:21.786, beating Mercedes driver George Russell by just 0.060 seconds. Oscar Piastri originally qualified third for McLaren, while Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completed the top five.
However, qualifying positions were not the same as the final starting grid because several drivers received penalties before the race.
The Italian Grand Prix itself has now been completed, with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli producing an extraordinary P19-to-P1 comeback to win at Monza. George Russell finished second, and Max Verstappen completed the podium.
F1 Qualifying Results: 2026 Italian GP
Here are the official qualifying results from Monza:
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:22.612 | 1:22.077 | 1:21.786 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:22.779 | 1:22.161 | 1:21.846 |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:22.924 | 1:22.017 | 1:21.966 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:22.902 | 1:22.509 | 1:22.004 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:22.847 | 1:22.516 | 1:22.011 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:22.631 | 1:22.188 | 1:22.070 |
| 7 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:22.758 | 1:21.882 | 1:22.093 |
| 8 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:22.662 | 1:22.400 | 1:22.220 |
| 9 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:22.659 | 1:22.067 | 1:22.256 |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:22.727 | 1:22.345 | 1:22.286 |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:22.946 | 1:22.517 | — |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:22.906 | 1:22.756 | — |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:23.440 | 1:22.779 | — |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | Red Bull Racing | 1:22.989 | 1:22.821 | — |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:23.616 | 1:23.453 | — |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:23.466 | 1:23.454 | — |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:23.755 | — | — |
| 18 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:24.356 | — | — |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:24.364 | — | — |
| 20 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:24.595 | — | — |
| 21 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:25.150 | — | — |
| 22 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:25.222 | — | — |
These are the official qualifying classification times published by Formula 1.
Pierre Gasly Takes a Shock Pole Position
F1 qualifying results : Pierre Gasly produced one of the biggest qualifying surprises of the 2026 season by putting his Alpine on pole at Monza.
His 1:21.786 lap was enough to beat George Russell by only 0.060 seconds. It was an extremely close fight at the front, with the top three separated by less than two tenths.
Russell’s Mercedes qualified second, while Oscar Piastri took third with a 1:21.966. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed in fourth and fifth.
Gasly’s pole was particularly significant because Monza is a circuit where straight-line speed and confidence under heavy braking can make a major difference.
George Russell Qualifies Second
F1 qualifying results : George Russell delivered a strong qualifying performance for Mercedes and came extremely close to taking pole.
His final Q3 lap of 1:21.846 left him just 0.060 seconds behind Gasly.
Russell’s second-place qualifying result gave Mercedes a strong starting position, while teammate Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh with a 1:22.093.
The qualifying result looked promising for Russell, but the Italian Grand Prix ultimately became an even bigger success for Mercedes. Russell finished second behind Antonelli after the race.
Ferrari Shows Strong Pace at Home
F1 qualifying results : Ferrari had both cars inside the top five in qualifying.
Charles Leclerc qualified fourth with a 1:22.004, while Lewis Hamilton was fifth with a 1:22.011.
The difference between the two Ferrari drivers was only 0.007 seconds in Q3, showing just how close the fight was.
Starting fourth and fifth at the team’s home Grand Prix gave Ferrari a strong opportunity, although the final race produced a very different outcome. Leclerc retired after an early crash, while Hamilton finished sixth.
Kimi Antonelli’s Incredible P19-to-P1 Story
F1 qualifying results : One of the biggest stories of the entire Italian Grand Prix weekend was Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli qualified seventh with a 1:22.093, but a power-unit penalty meant he had to start the race from 19th on the grid.
Instead of allowing the penalty to ruin his weekend, Antonelli produced one of the strongest comeback drives of the season.
He climbed from 19th to first and won the Italian Grand Prix after 53 laps. George Russell finished 3.857 seconds behind in second, while Max Verstappen finished third, 14.718 seconds behind the winner.
The result also extended Antonelli’s championship lead. After the Italian Grand Prix, he had 267 points, ahead of Russell on 201 and Lewis Hamilton on 191.
Oscar Piastri Qualifies Third but Starts Sixth
F1 qualifying results : Oscar Piastri originally qualified third for McLaren with a Q3 time of 1:21.966.
However, his qualifying position did not become his final grid position.
Piastri received a three-place grid penalty for impeding another driver during qualifying. As a result, he dropped from third to sixth on the official starting grid.
Despite the penalty, Piastri finished fifth in the race, only 0.197 seconds behind teammate Lando Norris.
Official 2026 Italian GP Starting Grid
The qualifying classification and final race grid were different because of several penalties.
| Grid | Driver | Qualifying Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pierre Gasly | 1st |
| 2 | George Russell | 2nd |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | 4th |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | 5th |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | 6th |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | 3rd |
| 7 | Franco Colapinto | 8th |
| 8 | Lando Norris | 9th |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | 10th |
| 10 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 11th |
| 19 | Kimi Antonelli | 7th |
Antonelli and Alexander Albon were moved to the back of the grid because of power-unit changes. Piastri received his three-place penalty, while Fernando Alonso and Liam Lawson started from the pit lane.
2026 Italian GP Race Result
F1 qualifying results : The qualifying story was eventually overshadowed by an extraordinary Mercedes result on Sunday.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:51:15.281 | 25 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | +3.857s | 18 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +14.718s | 15 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +19.056s | 12 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +19.253s | 10 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +24.655s | 8 |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +27.351s | 6 |
| 8 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +45.136s | 4 |
| 9 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +47.353s | 2 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | +58.187s | 1 |
The race was completed over 53 laps, with Antonelli taking the 25 points for victory.
Why F1 Qualifying Results Matter at Monza
Qualifying remains one of the most important parts of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
Monza is known for its long straights, heavy braking zones, and high-speed layout. Starting near the front can provide a major advantage, particularly when several cars have similar race pace.
However, the 2026 Italian Grand Prix showed that qualifying position is not everything.
Antonelli started 19th despite qualifying seventh and still won the race. His recovery demonstrated how race pace, strategy, overtaking ability, and tyre management can completely change the outcome.
F1 Qualifying Results vs Final Starting Grid
Fans should always distinguish between the qualifying classification and the official starting grid.
The qualifying results show where each driver finished Q1, Q2 and Q3. The starting grid is published after penalties and other changes have been applied.
The 2026 Italian Grand Prix provided a perfect example.
Piastri qualified third but started sixth, while Antonelli qualified seventh but started 19th. Therefore, simply looking at the qualifying table does not always tell you where every driver will actually begin the race.
Final Verdict
The 2026 Italian Grand Prix qualifying results produced a surprise pole for Pierre Gasly, with George Russell just 0.060 seconds behind.
Ferrari placed both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton inside the top five, while Oscar Piastri and Kimi Antonelli also showed strong qualifying pace.
But the biggest story came on Sunday.
Kimi Antonelli transformed a 19th-place starting position into a victory, beating teammate George Russell by 3.857 seconds and taking another major step in the 2026 championship fight.
For fans searching for the latest F1 qualifying results, the official Monza classification is therefore only part of the story. The penalties, final starting grid and spectacular race result made the 2026 Italian Grand Prix one of the most memorable weekends of the season.
Starting grid for Sunday’s race.
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