Carlos Sainz stunned Max Verstappen to claim pole for Ferrari at Formula 1’s 2023 Italian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc third and both Ferrari drivers escaping sanction for Q1 outlap infractions.

The session at Monza also formed the second 2023 qualifying session run to the Alternative Tyre Allocation rules that required the drivers to run the hards throughout Q1, mediums in Q2 and softs in Q3. 

Both Ferrari drivers had faced a post-qualifying investigation for failing to follow the race director’s instructions in terms of maximum laptime that had been set ahead of Saturday’s action to avoid traffic chaos in this session, based on the duration of their respective outlaps at the end of Q1. But just as qualifying concluded, it was announced that there would be no further action required by the stewards. 

In Q3, Sainz led Leclerc after the first runs – the Spaniard’s 1m20.532s giving him the edge by 0.032s over his team-mate, who had led the way and provided a handy tow. Verstappen, running ahead of the pack and followed by Perez, ended up running slightly wide out of the della Roggia chicane, as he trailed Sainz by 0.099s. 

On the second runs, Verstappen ran between the Ferrari pair – suggesting the tow factor at both Ferrari and Red Bull was not a critical consideration. Here, Leclerc led the way of the frontrunners and he blitzed to provisional pole with a 1m20.361s before Verstappen stole ahead. 

But Sainz would not be denied – having been the lead Ferrari driver throughout practice and until Leclerc’s final flier just seconds earlier – as he flashed through with a stunning late gain to claim pole with a 1m20.294s and send the home crowd into raptures. 

George Russell finished fourth, with Perez only fifth in the second Red Bull, while Alex Albon took sixth for Williams. Oscar Piastri ended up seventh for McLaren ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso. 

Max Verstappen at Italian GP 2023

Earlier, Verstappen led Q2, where Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sargeant were knocked out. 

The middle segment featured Lawson reaching that stage for the first time in his short F1 career as Daniel Ricciardo’s injury replacement, while Hamilton needed a big final lap to jump from the drop zone after the first runs to progressing in Q2 sixth. 

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In Q1, which Verstappen topped despite losing his first lap to a track limits violation at the second Lesmo, Zhou Guanyu, Alpine pair Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, Kevin Magnussen and Lance Stroll were eliminated. 

Ocon had two dramatic moments in that session – nearly colliding with Norris when on a preparation lap and the McLaren was flying towards the Parabolica and then running into the gravel exiting the Ascari chicane mid-way through the opening segment. 

F1 Italian GP - Qualifying results

Q1

 
 
       
Driver Info
 
 
 
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval km/h
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull 9 1'21.573   255.658
2 Thailand A. Albon Alex Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes 9 +0.088 0.088 255.382
3 Monaco C. Leclerc Charles Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 9 +0.215 0.127 254.986
4 JapanY. TsunodaYuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 22 AlphaTauri Red Bull 9 +0.279 0.064 254.786
5 Mexico S. Perez Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull 9 +0.338 0.059 254.603
6 United States L. Sargeant Logan Sargeant Williams 2 Williams Mercedes 9 +0.357 0.019 254.544
7 Spain C. Sainz Carlos Sainz Ferrari 55 Ferrari Ferrari 9 +0.392 0.035 254.435
8 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes 9 +0.404 0.012 254.398
9 United Kingdom L. Norris Lando Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 9 +0.422 0.018 254.342
10 Spain F. Alonso Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 8 +0.470 0.048 254.193
11 Australia O. Piastri Oscar Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 10 +0.533 0.063 253.998
12 New Zealand L. Lawson Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 40 AlphaTauri Red Bull 9 +0.539 0.006 253.979
13 United Kingdom G. Russell George Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 9 +0.575 0.036 253.868
14 Finland V. Bottas Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 77 Alfa Romeo Ferrari 8 +0.676 0.101 253.556
15 Germany N. Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team 27 Haas Ferrari 10 +0.770 0.094 253.267
16 China Z. Guanyu Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 24 Alfa Romeo Ferrari 8 +0.817 0.047 253.122
17 France P. Gasly Pierre Gasly Alpine 10 Alpine Renault 7 +0.972 0.155 252.647
18 France E. Ocon Esteban Ocon Alpine 31 Alpine Renault 8 +0.975 0.003 252.638
19 Denmark K. Magnussen Kevin Magnussen Haas F1 Team 20 Haas Ferrari 8 +1.019 0.044 252.503
20 Canada L. Stroll Lance Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes 9 +1.287 0.268 251.687
View full results  

Q2

 
 
       
Driver Info
 
 
 
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval km/h
1 Netherlands M. Verstappen Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull 6 1'20.937   257.667
2 Monaco C. Leclerc Charles Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 6 +0.040 0.040 257.539
3 Spain C. Sainz Carlos Sainz Ferrari 55 Ferrari Ferrari 5 +0.054 0.014 257.495
4 Mexico S. Perez Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull 6 +0.303 0.249 256.706
5 Thailand A. Albon Alex Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes 6 +0.335 0.032 256.604
6 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes 6 +0.432 0.097 256.299
7 United Kingdom G. Russell George Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 6 +0.445 0.013 256.258
8 Australia O. Piastri Oscar Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 8 +0.590 0.145 255.802
9 Spain F. Alonso Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 5 +0.606 0.016 255.752
10 United Kingdom L. Norris Lando Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 8 +0.644 0.038 255.633
11 Japan Y. Tsunoda Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 22 AlphaTauri Red Bull 6 +0.657 0.013 255.592
12 New Zealand L. Lawson Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 40 AlphaTauri Red Bull 6 +0.821 0.164 255.079
13 Germany N. Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team 27 Haas Ferrari 6 +0.839 0.018 255.023
14 Finland V. Bottas Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 77 Alfa Romeo Ferrari 6 +1.003 0.164 254.513
15 United States L. Sargeant Logan Sargeant Williams 2 Williams Mercedes 6 +1.007 0.004 254.500
View full results  

Q3

 
 
       
Driver Info
 
 
 
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval km/h
1 Spain C. Sainz Carlos Sainz Ferrari 55 Ferrari Ferrari 6 1'20.294   259.730
2 Netherlands M. Verstappen Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull 6 +0.013 0.013 259.688
3 Monaco C. Leclerc Charles Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 6 +0.067 0.054 259.513
4 United Kingdom G. Russell George Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 6 +0.377 0.310 258.516
5 Mexico S. Perez Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 11 Red Bull Red Bull 6 +0.394 0.017 258.462
6 Thailand A. Albon Alex Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes 6 +0.466 0.072 258.231
7 Australia O. Piastri Oscar Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 6 +0.491 0.025 258.151
8 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 44 Mercedes Mercedes 6 +0.526 0.035 258.040
9 United Kingdom L. Norris Lando Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 6 +0.685 0.159 257.533
10 Spain F. Alonso Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 6 +1.123 0.438 256.147
View full results

Source: Motorsport.com