Max Verstappen produced a lap of pure brilliance to claim pole position for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix, denying McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in one of the tightest qualifying battles of the 2025 F1 World Championship. The Red Bull driver stopped the clock at 1m 18.792s in Q3, reclaiming top spot from Norris by 0.077s and sending the Dutch fans in Monza’s grandstands wild. After struggling badly at this race last year, Verstappen and Red Bull found fresh speed at the Temple of Speed, positioning themselves as genuine challengers to McLaren’s recent dominance.
What To Know?
- Verstappen pole with 1m 18.792s, 0.077s clear of Norris.
- Piastri third, Leclerc P4, Hamilton P5 but drops five places to P10.
- Bortoleto stars with P7 (after Hamilton penalty) for Kick Sauber, Williams struggle in P13–14
The final segment of qualifying delivered a heart-pounding duel. Verstappen drew first blood before Norris edged ahead with a late flyer, only for the reigning champion to respond instantly with his pole-sealing lap. Piastri had to settle for third, just 0.190s adrift, while Ferrari gave the home tifosi something to cheer with Charles Leclerc in fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth. Hamilton’s grid penalty for his Zandvoort yellow-flag infringement, however, means he will drop five places, leaving Ferrari’s hopes of a front-row presence to rest squarely on Leclerc’s shoulders.
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Mercedes tried a different approach in Q1 by sending George Russell and Kimi Antonelli out on mediums before switching to softs, ultimately locking down P6 and P7. Behind them, Gabriel Bortoleto continued his standout weekend by storming to eighth in the Kick Sauber, underlining the team’s progress under new boss Jonathan Wheatley. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10, both banking competitive laps in the final seconds.
Further back, Haas rookie Ollie Bearman narrowly missed out on Q3 in 11th by just 0.01s, followed by Nico Hulkenberg in the second Kick Sauber. Williams, so promising on Friday, faltered when it mattered—Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon stuck in 13th and 14th, with Esteban Ocon’s Haas slotting between them. Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, fresh from his Zandvoort podium, fell at the first hurdle after a mistake on his final lap left him a lowly 16th, just behind Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin.
Alpine endured another mixed outing: Franco Colapinto salvaged 18th by outqualifying Pierre Gasly—on the very day of the Frenchman’s contract renewal—while Liam Lawson brought up the rear for Racing Bulls after losing his best lap to track limits.
With less than two-tenths covering the top four, Monza qualifying has set the stage for a race brimming with jeopardy. Verstappen has the advantage, but with Norris and Piastri locked on his gearbox, Leclerc urged on by the tifosi, and Hamilton fighting from deeper in the pack, Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix promises to deliver another classic chapter of the 2025 F1 World Championship.
2025 Italian GP Qualifying Results
2025 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying, 6 September 2025
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:19.455 | 1:19.140 | 1:18.792 | 18 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:19.517 | 1:19.293 | 1:18.869 | 21 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:19.711 | 1:19.286 | 1:18.982 | 19 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:19.689 | 1:19.310 | 1:19.007 | 20 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:19.765 | 1:19.371 | 1:19.124 | 20 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:19.414 | 1:19.287 | 1:19.157 | 18 |
| 7 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:19.747 | 1:19.245 | 1:19.200 | 22 |
| 8 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:19.688 | 1:19.323 | 1:19.390 | 21 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:19.658 | 1:19.362 | 1:19.424 | 20 |
| 10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:19.619 | 1:19.433 | 1:19.519 | 18 |
| 11 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:19.688 | 1:19.446 | 15 | |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:19.777 | 1:19.498 | 15 | |
| 13 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:19.644 | 1:19.528 | 19 | |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:19.837 | 1:19.583 | 16 | |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:19.816 | 1:19.707 | 15 | |
| 16 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:19.917 | 6 | ||
| 17 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:19.948 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:19.992 | 9 | ||
| 19 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:20.103 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:20.279 | 5 |
2025 Italian Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:18.792 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:18.869 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:18.982 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:19.007 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:19.157 |
| 6 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:19.200 |
| 7 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:19.390 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:19.424 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:19.519 |
| 10 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:19.124 |
| 11 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:19.446 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:19.498 |
| 13 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:19.528 |
| 14 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:19.583 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:19.707 |
| 16 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:19.948 |
| 17 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:19.992 |
| 18 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:20.279 |
| 19 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:19.917 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:20.103 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 5 September 2025 – 7 September 2025
Race date: Sunday, 7 September, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 53
Circuit length: 5.793km
2024 winner: Charles Leclerc
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