Italy Qualifying Reaction
Image: Scuderia Ferrari Media
With an unexpected name starting on pole tomorrow and a whole host of other surprises, Qualifying for the 2023 Italian Grand Prix was not one to miss. This was F1’s second time using its new Qualifying format, using the hard-compound tyres for Q1, mediums for Q2, and softs for Q3 - so there’s plenty to go wrong! From an Alpine double-exit in Q1 to a rogue Williams in the top six, let’s get stuck into the key moments of Qualifying.
Q1
The first session in Qualifying, as per the new regulations, was completed by all cars on the hard-compound tyres, allowing for some tyre warming issues, which was the case for Alpine.
The team from Enstone suffered a Q1 exit for both its drivers; Esteban Ocon ran wide at Turn 10, damaging his floor and Pierre Gasly failed to fire up his tyres to get a good lap on the board. Gasly and Ocon finished the session in P17 and P18 respectively – not the best result following a surprise podium last time out.
Image: Formula One
Elsewhere, track limits played a massive role in increasing pressure on drivers including Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. Liam Lawson put on an impressive show to finish P12 in the session, in just his second F1 outing.
Lance Stroll put in a dismal performance to qualify last whilst his teammate, Fernando Alonso, qualified comfortably in the top ten. It was a little too close for George Russell as he just made it into Q2, his final result would put a smile on his face.
The drivers eliminated from Q1 were:
16th - Zhou GUANYU
17th - Pierre GASLY
18th - Esteban OCON
19th - Kevin MAGNUSSEN
20th - Lance STROLL
Q2
The second session saw the drivers don the medium-compound tyres, opening up the possibility for much quicker lap times. The start of Q2 wasn’t the best for Ferrari as both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were under investigation for failing to stay within the maximum lap time during Q1. After reviewing the footage, however, the FIA ruled that there would be no further action for both drivers – a close call for the Scuderia.
The Prancing Horse flexed its muscles as both Sainz and Leclerc set quick lap times, with Verstappen separating the two Ferrari drivers. Alexander Albon put in a decent performance, with an extremely quick car on the straights.
With Lewis Hamilton escaping elimination towards the end of the session, all eyes were on Ferrari as they eyed up its second consecutive pole positon at Monza, with Leclerc clinching pole last year. Lewis Hamilton also reported that he had “no grip” and that he was held up by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, with the Brit setting a crucial lap to secure his place in the final session in Qualifying.
Norris scraped through in P10, beating Yuki Tsonda by just 13 milliseconds.
The drivers out in Q2 were:
11th: Yuki TSUNODA
12th: Liam LAWSON
13th: Nico HULKENBERG
14th: Valtteri BOTTAS
15th: Logan SARGEANT
Q3
With this session featuring the soft-compound tyres exclusively, it was game on for pole between Ferrari and Verstappen.
It was the dream start for the Scuderia as Leclerc bested Verstappen in his first run and then Carlos Sainz took the top spot to the delight of the Tifosi. At the end of the first runs, the top three were separated by just a tenth of a second – tense stuff!
With Hamilton seemingly struggling in ninth, Russell stunned fans by putting his Mercedes ahead of Albon, who’s been quick all weekend. The ten drivers used every bit of grip available from the softs as the positions on the leaderboard were constantly shifting, with Russell finishing ahead of Sergio Perez, bringing home yet another subpar qualifying result for the Mexican driver.
Both Perez and Russell eventually leapfrogged Albon in the order towards the end of the session but it was very impressive to see Williams driver in the top six yet again, demonstrating the Thai driver’s sheer talent.
Charles Leclerc opted not to have a tow for his final run, leaving the Monegasque to come an impressive yet disappointing P3, which he later regretted. Despite this, Leclerc was very grateful for the Tifosi’s unwavering support.
“I don’t smile often when I’m P3 but obviously being here and having this much support is an amazing feeling”
