Bottas fastest in qualifying at Monza… but last on the grid

A few days after the announcement of his departure from Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas shows that he still has some good leftovers by setting the best time in an intense but messy, not to say dangerous, qualifying session, as is too often the case at Monza.

The future pilot Alfa Romeo, who nevertheless offered aspiration to his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton during the last attempts in Q3, clocked a time of 1'19''555 which allowed him to precede the 2nd W12 by 96 thousandths.

The Finn will therefore start in pole position for Saturday's Sprint race... but he will start at the back of the grid during the Italian Grand Prix after the installation of a 4th engine at the rear of his car this season. Bottas in fact receives a grid penalty which will only apply on Sunday.

Mercedes confirmed that this was a strategic decision, hoping to scratch one or the other point at Verstappen Saturday during the Sprint where the first three are rewarded. The Dutchman must be content with the 3rd best time this Friday evening, more than 4/10th, the Red Bull not having the advantage this weekend over the long periods of full engine load at Monza.

The McLaren and their Mercedes block confirm their good dispositions with the 4th and 5th times of Lando Norris et Daniel Ricciardo. Pierre Gasly, he too, is in very good shape. The pilot Alpha Tauri, historic winner of the 2020 edition of the Italian GP and recently extended to Faenza, takes the 6th fastest time, ahead of the Ferrari de Carlos Sainz et Charles Leclerc.

Disappointment for Sergio Pérez, only 9th aboard the 2nd Red Bull RB16B, while Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), whose career F1 registers on dotted lines, invites himself again in Q3, for his meeting at home what's more.

Sebastian Vettel stops at the gates of Q3 for 31 thousandths. The German is ahead of his teammate Aston Martin Lance stroll, and as Alpine de Fernando Alonso et Esteban Ocon, disappointing this Friday evening.

After the formalization of his contract with Mercedes, George Russell must be satisfied with the 15th time. The Briton thought he was done in Q1 after setting the 16th fastest time in the opening segment of qualifying. This was without counting on the cancellation of the best time of Yuki tsunoda, which demoted the Japanese to 17th and promoted the driver Williams in 15th position and in Q2.

Russell is 35 thousandths ahead of his teammate Nicholas latifi, who came very close to cutting up a rabbit crossing the track during his deceleration lap in Q1. The Canadian, who was officially extended at Williams in 2022, is accompanied in the 1st cart of those eliminated by Tsunoda, the Haas de Mick Schumacher et Nikita mazepin, and the Alfa Romeo of Robert Kubica, who once again replaces Kimi Räikkönen, still out due to Covid-19.

Finally, one day we will have to think about putting some order into the mess that is the launch laps at the end of Q1, Q2, Q3 with cars idling on the ideal trajectory and drivers rushing wildly behind and missing to become satellites. Ditto in the pit lane, where we came very close to a collision during simultaneous exits in Q2. All this to scratch an aspiration which we saw with Bottas that it was not as vital as that to be the fastest! We wonder what the authorities are waiting for to crack down!