The 2026 Italian GP started with a scene that seemed unlikely: an Alpine on pole position at Monza, in front of a crowd hopeful for Ferrari. When Pierre Gasly set a lap time of 1min21s786 and beat George Russell by just 0.060 seconds, Formula 1 experienced a moment to remember. It was the Frenchman’s first career pole and also Alpine’s first since the team adopted its current identity.
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Gasly did not arrive as a favorite. The pole came from a combination of an Alpine that found performance in a single lap, the good setup for Monza’s long straights, and an almost perfect lap from the Frenchman. The result also carried special weight after the frustration in Monaco, when Gasly lost a podium due to an FIA (International Automobile Federation) decision.
But Gasly’s pole was much more than a memorable moment. It was a harbinger of a race with great significance for the championship, both in points and in team relations, especially for Ferrari.
The team arrived at its home GP with reasons to believe in a good result. Leclerc and Hamilton had locked out the front row in the first free practice, and Ferrari brought a new engine upgrade to Monza. In qualifying, however, Leclerc was fourth and Hamilton fifth, both about two tenths behind Gasly. Hamilton, in fact, escaped elimination in Q2 by just 0.001 seconds ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto.
There was still time to react on Sunday. But Ferrari practically dismantled its own race in the opening laps.
Hamilton and Leclerc arrived side by side at the first chicane, and the Briton ended up running wide into the escape area, dropping to 11th place. The incident clearly upset Hamilton. Shortly after, Leclerc got involved in a battle with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, lost control at the Parabolica, and crashed heavily. The accident caused a red flag and stopped the race. Leclerc emerged unscathed, but Ferrari suffered a heavy blow.
After the race, Hamilton made harsh criticisms and called for changes in communication and management of the battle between him and the Monegasque. The seven-time world champion even said it was necessary to review how Ferrari handles this type of situation. For a team aiming to return to the top, it was an uncomfortable sign, especially in such an important race as Monza.
But all the confusion with Ferrari triggered a true domino effect in the race. The red flag caused by Leclerc reshuffled the scenario. Antonelli, who had originally started 19th due to a power unit-related penalty, returned to the track in 12th position on the restart grid. From there, the Italian began to advance. Gasly ceased to be a protagonist, Ferrari dropped out of the victory fight, and Russell appeared increasingly comfortable in the lead.
However, another piece fell later and changed the game again. Lance Stroll’s retirement caused a virtual safety car, and Mercedes took advantage of the situation differently with its two cars. Antonelli managed a favorable pit stop and put on new medium tires, while Russell stayed out on used hard tires. Russell’s decision was not absurd, but the scenario changed too quickly. With better-condition tires, Antonelli began to reduce his teammate’s lead until taking the lead.
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Russell still finished second, but the opportunity to turn Monza into an important championship recovery disappeared. Instead of closing the gap to Antonelli, he saw his teammate open an even bigger advantage. The Italian reached 267 points against Russell’s 201, a difference of 66 points.
Antonelli’s victory did not happen simply because he started 19th and was faster than everyone else. The race offered new opportunities as other stories collapsed. Gasly did the impossible on Saturday but did not have the car to sustain that on Sunday. Leclerc took Ferrari out of contention. Russell was hurt by strategy.
Antonelli was the one who knew how to take advantage of all these changes. That does not diminish his victory. On the contrary. It was perhaps the greatest achievement of his young career.
Max Verstappen, in turn, managed a third place that puts Red Bull back in the conversation after a weekend that did not seem to point to such a strong result. Lando Norris also deserves credit for fourth place, especially after the problems faced in qualifying. Oscar Piastri finished fifth, while Hamilton salvaged a sixth place that, given the circumstances, did little to ease Ferrari’s frustration.
Other highlights
Gasly was naturally the big name outside the top teams. The pole did not turn into a podium, but that does not erase the magnitude of his Saturday performance. Alpine showed that recent updates may have found a very competitive window, and Gasly put his name back in the center of the conversation precisely on a circuit where he had already won in 2020.
Racing Bulls also had a very positive Sunday, placing Arvid Lindblad eighth and Yuki Tsunoda tenth. Franco Colapinto finished ninth and managed to recover after a complicated weekend, while Gabriel Bortoleto was 11th, again very close to the points zone, still struggling with Audi’s starts.
On the other hand, Aston Martin had one of the worst afternoons on the grid. Lance Stroll retired due to hydraulic problems, while Fernando Alonso also failed to finish the race. On a track that demands a lot from power units, the team struggled to keep up with the rivals’ pace.
Read more F1 today: Antonelli makes history and Ferrari faces crisis after Monza
