Italian Grand Prix 2025 F1 Qualifying Highlights: Verstappen Takes Pole, Norris Joins Him On Front Row

Hello! We’re back with another live blog and it’s lights out for F1 time. Italian Grand Prix 2025 F1 Qualifying LIVE Updates, stay tuned for all the action.

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The sun is shining over Monza as qualifying bursts into life. Q1 goes green, the pit lane opens, and the cars thunder out onto the Temple of Speed.

Q1 drama at Monza! Ferrari struggles to hit the sweet spot, Leclerc clocks a 1:19.801 to claim the early top spot, with Hamilton just a tenth behind. The shock? Their pace isn’t much quicker than Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber. And it gets spicier, Russell is trailing even the Sauber. Things are tight, and the session is far from settled.

Okay, now we can see Norris making his move! The McLarens are out, and it’s Lando who takes the early bragging rights, just a tenth ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. Verstappen had a wobble over the Ascari kerbs, even scraping the gravel, but still slots in second before heading back to the pit wall to check his floor.

Meanwhile, Norris is flying, looks like he’s setting the pace for everyone else to chase.

Q1 shake-up! Russell sets the pace with a 1:19.414, but it’s tight at the top, Norris just two-tenths back, Sainz and Alonso within a blink, and Leclerc, Piastri, Hamilton, Hulkenberg, and Verstappen all bunched within four-tenths. Monza is already heating up.

And that’s it for Q1. Out of the running are Isack Hadjar, Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, and Liam Lawson. Monza’s first cut leaves the rest to battle it out in Q2.

16 Isack Hadjar
17 Lance Stroll
18 Franco Colapinto
19 Pierre Gasly
20 Liam Lawson

Here we go again! Both Ferraris have made it through to Q2, keeping the tifosi cheering, while Gabriel Bortoleto sneaks through with a helpful tow from Max Verstappen. The stage is set, who’s ready to turn up the heat?

Oscar Piastri climbs to third, just 0.151s off Max Verstappen’s pace, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton hold their spots comfortably inside the top 10. The battle for Q2 is shaping up nicely.

Q2 is underway and the gaps are tight at the top. Max Verstappen leads with a 1:19.140, closely chased by George Russell (+0.147) and Oscar Piastri (+0.151). Gabriel Bortoleto and Charles Leclerc are not far behind, while Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, and Logan Sargeant round out the top 10. Lando Norris hasn’t posted a time yet, and the midfield battle is heating up.

1. Max Verstappen – 1:19.140

2. Fernando Alonso – +0.105

3. Oscar Piastri – +0.146

4. George Russell – +0.147

5. Lando Norris – +0.153

6. Charles Leclerc – +0.170

7. Gabriel Bortoleto – +0.183

8. Fernando Alonso – +0.222

9. Lewis Hamilton – +0.231

10. Yuki Tsunoda – +0.293

11. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

And we’re off for Q3! Twelve minutes, ten drivers, and just one pole position to fight for. The teams tried to line up for a perfect slipstream, two McLarens, two Red Bulls, two Mercedes, two Ferraris, then Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin and Gabriel Bortoleto in the Sauber, but it’s not quite working out. Lando Norris heads the charge, flying solo without any tow.

Can he make it count?

Charles Leclerc takes the early lead. The crowd erupts as he clocks a blistering 1:19.007 to go fastest. But watch out, Max Verstappen is on the hunt and ready to strike back.

And just like that, Max Verstappen takes provisional pole. The four-time world champion blasts past Charles Leclerc with a time in the 1:18s. The top three are Verstappen, Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri, while Lando Norris sits back in seventh, looking for a late charge.

Max Verstappen storms to pole at Monza, leaving McLaren watching from the sidelines. The defending champion will be joined on the front row by Lando Norris, with Oscar Piastri just behind in third. The Dutchman’s masterful lap has set the stage for a thrilling front-row battle as the Italian Grand Prix looms.

That’s a wrap for today! We’ll be back tomorrow with the full race blog, until then, bye bye and enjoy the anticipation.