Leclerc makes fans blush with pleasure with pole at Monza

Nobody, really nobody, wanted to start their last flying lap of Q3 before their friends. Too afraid not to take such a crucial aspiration on the temple of speed, you understand? So everyone slammed on the brakes, even if it meant looking like a donkey. In the lead during the formation lap, Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) even cut the first chicane (to lose positions?) but all his comrades raised their foot in reaction.

After a launch lap at very reduced speed, alone Charles Leclerc et Carlos Sainz finally managed to cut the line in time for a final attempt. At that point, the recent Spa winner already held provisional pole position. The job was done.

Leclerc will be accompanied on the front line by Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), which fails at 0''39 from the Ferrari peak. His teammate Valtteri Bottas completes the Top 3. The Finn almost finished without a mark on the clock since his first attempt in Q3 was completed just before a red flag caused by Kimi Räikkönen going off the track (Alfa Romeo) at the Parabolica exit. 

Sebastian Vettel had to settle for 4th fastest time ahead of the fans, while Renault put in a great performance on a motor circuit which had hardly been successful for them in the past. Daniel Ricciardo and Hülkenberg indeed lock the 3rd grid line with the 5th and 6th times. 

Carlos Sainz is the 7th and last driver to have been able to set a timed lap in Q3. The Spanish of McLaren precede Alexander albon (Red Bull), Lance stroll (Racing Point), still at ease at Monza, and Räikkönen. 

In front of his home crowd, Antonio Giovinazzi missed Q3 by 0”002 compared to his Alfa Romeo teammate. The intermediate phase of qualifications is also synonymous with the end of the game for Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), Lando Norris (McLaren), and Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso). The Frenchman knew from the start of the Italian weekend that he would have to start at the back of the pack for having introduced the Spec 4 Honda into his annual engine fleet. 

his compatriot Romain Grosjean stops in Q1 with his Haas VF-19. The Frenchman is accompanied in the cart by Sergio Pérez, who raised a brief red flag due to a mechanical problem on his Racing Point, and the two Williams by George Russell and Robert Kubica. 

Forced to start from the back of the grid for having taken the Spec 4 with the Honda engine, Max Verstappen tried to qualify but the Dutchman reported a problem with his propeller and was unable to complete a single timed lap. 

As in Spa, you will have to wait for the various grid penalties to be applied to know the starting order for the Italian Grand Prix. We saw in F3 earlier this weekend that the FIA ​​stewards took a very dim view of voluntary slowdowns on the launch laps.

QUALIFYING CLASSIFICATION *

* Stewards are investigating the climax to Q3#ItalianGP  #F1 pic.twitter.com/kH58mbohwd

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2019