F1 LIVE | Verstappen dominating the McLarens as Hamilton, Leclerc keeps Ferrari hopes alive

14:00, 07 Sep

Updated: 16:04, 07 Sep

byTobia Elia

Max Verstappen takes the lead ahead of the two McLarens and Charles Leclerc at Monza, with Lewis Hamilton looking to fight his way back. Follow our live coverage of the Italian GP!

The Monza qualifying results saw Max Verstappen return to pole position, something he hadn’t achieved since the British GP at Silverstone in July.

The four-time world champion will start ahead of the two McLarens, with Lando Norris outqualifying his teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri.

"Around here, with the low downforce, it's very difficult to nail the lap. Under braking, it's easy to make mistakes," he said after the session.

"Q3 felt good, happy with the laps, and to be on pole here is fantastic. The car has been working well here the whole weekend, and to be able to fight for pole, I'm very happy."

"We were still lacking a tiny amount. We made some final changes, which allowed me to push a bit more, which is exactly what you need in qualifying. For us, it's a great moment."

Fourth place went to the fan-favourite for the Italian crowd, Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque had also qualified fourth last year, only to take victory with a one-stop strategy, outsmarting Piastri’s McLaren.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, will be looking to fight his way back after qualifying fifth yesterday, but due to a five-place grid penalty incurred last weekend in Zandvoort, he will have to start today’s race from tenth. Yesterday, the Brit chose to make his final Q3 run without giving a tow to his teammate.

Max Verstappen celebrates pole at Monza

Who is going to take win at Monza?

Will Verstappen manage to convert his pole into victory today, or will McLaren spoil the Dutchman’s party? Can Ferrari deliver a second consecutive joy to its fans after last year? To find out, we just have to wait for the lights to go out, with the Italian GP set to start at 3:00 PM local time.