By Robert Haile
After a tough season Ferrari have delighted their fans as Carlos Sainz takes pole position at the Italian Grand Prix.
The tifosi have endured a difficult season but Sainz has given them a glimmer of hope for the Grand Prix as he beat the dominant Red Bull of Max Verstappen with fellow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc just behind him.
They might have been forgiven for thinking here we go when it came through that Ferrari were under investigation for potentially failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions regarding maximum lap time.
With Sainz and Leclerc in first and third it came down no action would be taken on the team.
Speaking afterwards Sainz said: “What a Saturday. It’s so special to get pole position here, in front of all the tifosi.
“I had a very good feeling from the car already on Friday and today we confirmed our pace. Q3 was always on the limit and we all took big risks in the fight for this pole.
“When I finally crossed the line and I heard the tifosi screaming like crazy and jumping on the grandstands I knew we had it.
“The weekend is not over yet, we want more, and for that we need to stay focused and prepare well for tomorrow. It’s going to be a challenging race but we’ll give it everything to fight for the win and give the tifosi around the world something to keep cheering us on.”
Joining Leclerc on the second row is a resurgent George Russell after Mercedes announced he will be partnering Lewis Hamilton until 2025.
In fifth Sergio Perez’ Red Bull missed out on fourth by 0.017 as Alex Albon continued his fantastic qualifying run for Williams with sixth.
McLaren’s duo have dropped back with Oscar Piastri in seventh and Lando Norris in ninth with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in eighth with Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin in tenth.
With more time behind the wheel of his AlphaTauri Liam Lawson almost made the top ten shootout in twelfth as teammate Yuki Tsunoda took eleventh.
The grid will have more of Nico Hulkenberg after Haas announced he will be staying with them backed it up with a thirteenth in qualifying with Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas in fourteenth and Logan Sargeant in fifteenth for Williams.
Zhou Guanyu missed out on joining Bottas in the second session as he will start in sixteenth as Dutch Grand Prix podium finisher Pierre Gasly went out in seventeenth with Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon starting next to him in eighteenth.
Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll will start at the back of the grid.
The Italian Grand Prix race starts at 2pm (14:00) GMT on Sunday, September 3.
Italian Grand Prix Qualifying
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
- Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
- Vallteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
- Logan Sargeant (Williams)
- Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
- Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
THE HERDWICK NEWS 