Qualifying at Monza once again proved why the circuit is called the Temple of Speed: it was fast, chaotic, and riddled with talking points both on and off track.
Hadjar’s first Q1 exit
The story began in Q1 with Isack Hadjar, who suffered the first Q1 elimination of his Formula 1 career. For a rookie, that stat had been remarkable, he had made it out of Q1 at every race prior, even in a Racing Bull. His Monza exit came just as whispers of Red Bull promotion circled again, and the timing looked telling. Whether by coincidence or strategy, Hadjar seemed to underdeliver just enough to remain safe from Helmut Marko’s spotlight. With a new engine fitted, there was little reason to fight harder, but the optics left plenty of room for speculation. His radio summed it up simply: “shit happens.”
This came after a strong Friday where he’d shown solid pace across FP1 and FP2, heightening the surprise of his early elimination. His drop-off carried a deliberate feel, especially given how much attention had already been paid to his trajectory at Red Bull.
Bearman’s near-miss and the Q2 fight
Q2 was brutally tight, with just thousandths deciding the cut. Bearman narrowly missed out on Q3, finishing 0.013 behind Yuki Tsunoda. Considering Haas’ limitations, draggy on the straights, sluggish in the corners, his performance was outstanding. Albon, Sainz, Ocon, and Hulkenberg joined him in elimination, further proof of just how compressed the midfield was. Norris scraped through nervously after a team-instructed double cool-down lap that the broadcast confusingly pinned on him.
It was consistent with earlier sessions: Albon had been one of the standouts in FP1 and FP2, holding P7 in both. That pace looked real enough to push him close to the top 10 in qualifying, only for Williams’ Monza setup gamble to misfire. Meanwhile, Sainz had impressed with back-to-back P3s in FP1 and FP2, raising hopes for Ferrari at home, only for qualifying strategy to undo them when it mattered.
Verstappen delivers at Monza
Then came Q3, and Verstappen’s masterpiece. His 1:18.792 was not just enough for pole, it was the fastest lap ever recorded at Monza and the fastest lap in Formula 1 history by average speed at 264.681 km/h. It also marked his 45th pole for Red Bull, moving him past Sebastian Vettel, and his fifth pole of the season, tying him with Piastri. Norris sits just behind on four.
For Verstappen, this wasn’t a “key breakthrough” as some headlines suggested. It was simply him doing what he always does, extracting every ounce from a car set up for pure top speed. Red Bull had trimmed the rear wing to the bare minimum, effectively a flap rather than a wing, a setup designed solely to minimize drag on Monza’s long straights. The result was a lap where he used every inch of the circuit and stitched sectors together with clinical precision.
He’d hinted at this form earlier in the weekend. Verstappen had been quick from the very start of FP1, mixing with Ferrari and Mercedes, and by FP3 he was consistently trading purple sectors with Norris and Leclerc. The signs were clear that even if McLaren looked strong, Red Bull still had something in hand.
Interestingly, Verstappen downplayed the lap record itself, noting that new asphalt, curb changes, and a naturally quicker track played a part. He even joked that if you put the 2020 Mercedes here, it would go faster—especially with him behind the wheel. It was half self-awareness, half manifesting, and inevitably sparked the image of Toto Wolff already visualizing Verstappen in silver.
Chaos in the coverage
The achievement should have been iconic, but television direction managed to blunt the moment. Instead of showing Verstappen’s decisive sector three, cameras lingered on clapping McLaren guests, Sainz’s girlfriend, and assorted VIPs. By the time Verstappen crossed the line to snatch pole, the broadcast was still focused elsewhere, leaving both fans and commentators caught off guard. Pirelli later uploaded the full lap online, but the damage was done. Missing the fastest lap in F1 history live was an error that perfectly encapsulated the ongoing frustrations with broadcast choices this season.
Ferrari’s strategy misstep
Behind Verstappen, Ferrari once again left questions unanswered. Leclerc qualified P4, but without a tow, despite Hamilton taking a grid penalty, leaving many baffled as to why the team didn’t maximize Monza’s slipstream effect. Vasseur explained it away, but the decision looked like another example of Ferrari doing everything right to guarantee only P2 in the Constructors’. It fits a pattern: consistent bridesmaids, never the bride. Still, Leclerc’s history of converting P4 at Monza into wins kept tifosi hope alive.
Hamilton, meanwhile, qualified P5 but will start 10th after his penalty. His reflections were balanced: FP1 had felt like Ferrari’s strongest moment of the weekend, qualifying was the maximum possible, and the penalty “sucks, but it is what it is.” For Ferrari, the silver lining was that the car is clearly improving compared to the previous rounds.
Mercedes, Aston, Williams, Alpine, VCARB
Mercedes ended with Russell P6 and Antonelli P7. Russell had looked strong on mediums in Q1, but switching to softs plateaued him in the midfield pack. Many felt Mercedes should have gambled, there was little to lose, but the team opted to save tires for Sunday.
Antonelli continued his steady progression from practice into qualifying. He’d been consistently in the mix across FP1-FP3, often within a tenth of Russell, and qualifying P7 confirmed that he’s now firmly matching the team’s established benchmark.
Aston Martin split fortunes again: Alonso delivered P9 with a draggy car, while Stroll slumped to P17. Williams disappointed too, Sainz 13th, Albon 14th, as their usual Monza edge evaporated with a higher downforce package. Alpine were mired at the back with Colapinto 18th and Gasly 19th, though “overperforming” relative to an expected 19th–20th slot, while VCARB’s day was miserable with Hadjar 16th and Lawson 20th.
One notable stat: Hulkenberg clocked the highest top speed of the weekend in qualifying at 349 km/h. It underlined how extreme the Monza setups had become, and tied back to practice where Haas spent most of Friday running low-drag experiments that gave them little over one lap but a staggering turn of speed down the straights.
Master and apprentice, and Turn 1 chaos ahead
The grid also placed Alonso and Bortoleto side by side again, continuing a pattern since Imola where the veteran and the rookie frequently line up together. It feels almost scripted, a master and apprentice, circling each other as Bortoleto grows in confidence.
At the front, Norris and Piastri flank Verstappen, setting up a combustible opening lap. Norris knows he can afford to lose points to Verstappen but not to Piastri. That dynamic suggests caution at Turn 1 against Max, but aggression against his teammate. Still, Monza’s first chicane rarely allows everyone through cleanly. Many foresee a Miami-style clash, with Norris backing out and Oscar pouncing, or worse, all three tangling in a title-shaping pileup.
Conclusion
Qualifying gave us history: Verstappen’s 45th Red Bull pole, the fastest lap in Formula 1 history, and a razor-thin top 15 separated by just four tenths. But it also gave us context: Ferrari looking stronger after their FP1 pace but faltering when it counted, McLaren carrying raw speed from FP3 into Q3, Hadjar tumbling despite solid Friday runs, and Haas chasing top-speed glory over lap-time consistency. Add in broadcast errors, Ferrari strategy head-scratchers, and a grid loaded with intra-team dynamics, and Monza feels perfectly set for a volatile Sunday.
The only certainty is that the race will explode from the very first chicane.