- Scuderia take advantage at home race, Lewis Hamilton in eighth
- Sainz and teammate Leclerc avoid penalties for slow laps in Q1
Carlos Sainz claimed pole position for the Italian Grand Prix with a mighty lap for Ferrari at Monza. The Spaniard was immense over the single lap at Ferrari’s home grand prix, beating the Red Bull of Max Verstappen into second. Charles Leclerc was in third for Ferrari, with Mercedes’s George Russell in fourth. Sergio Pérez was in fifth for Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton in eighth for Mercedes.
After a gripping session, Sainz’s pole hung in the balance until the final moments. Both Ferrari’s were under investigation for failing to lap within the designated maximum lap time of 1min 41secs in Q1. The rule was instigated to prevent drivers being dangerously slow and bunching up as they tried to ensure they were at the back of a queue to gain a tow. Both faced a potential grid penalty.