Max Verstappen smashes F1 record at Monza as Lando Norris makes late qualifying recovery

Max Verstappen stormed to pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, setting a new F1 record for the quickest lap in the championship's history.

Judged on average speed, the Red Bull driver's 1:18.792 averaged 264.7 kph and 164.47 mph, bettering Lewis Hamilton's pole late at Monza from 2020.

The Dutchman beat Lando Norris by almost a tenth of a second as the pair secured their places on the front row of the grid.

Oscar Piastri was third-fastest at the Temple of Speed, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in fourth and fifth, respectively.

The Briton will, however, start tenth after his five-place grid penalty from the Dutch Grand Prix is applied.

Isack Hadjar was consigned to the first Q1 elimination of his young F1 career, just one week after his podium exploits at Zandvoort.

The Racing Bulls driver qualified P16, but is expected to start from the pit lane with a power unit change after the 20-year-old announced it during his post-session media duties.

Full Italian Grand Prix qualifying report continues below.

Q3

As the cars left the pits for the first runs of Q3, the McLarens found themselves split by home hero Kimi Antonelli, something that meant Norris could not provide the tow for Piastri.

Further down the order, Fernando Alonso managed to get himself between the Ferraris; Leclerc ahead with Hamilton, grid penalty pending, behind.

Yuki Tsunoda appeared to be suffering from a battery issue, but no such problems for the other RB21. Verstappen dropped the lap times into the 1:18s to clinch provisional pole ahead of the Scuderia's cars, with Piastri between the red machines. Norris found himself down in seventh.

George Russell, in fifth after the first runs, radioed into Mercedes to question his soft tyres for the final push, saying he thought he wanted the mediums again.

Leclerc could not improve with his time as he slipped down to fourth ahead of Hamilton, beating the Mercedes pair of Russell and Antonelli into sixth and seventh on the grid.

The seven-time F1 drivers' champion's penalty will elevate the Brackley-based squad's drivers up to the third row. Gabriel Bortoleto and Alonso beat Tsunoda in the final top 10 positions.

Q2

The start of Q2 was delayed for track cleaning after Isack Hadjar kicked up gravel on the exit of the second Lesmo, a mistake that proved critical in the Frenchman being knocked out in Q1.

When the segment did get underway, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were quickly on circuit to get early banker times in. The former went quicker in the first two sectors before a mistake in the third left him two-tenths down on the latter.

As the rest of the pack filed out of the pit lane, the Williams pair were soon supplanted. Verstappen set a 1:19.140 to go top, ahead of Russell and Bortleto before the McLarens entered the fray.

Piastri went third, but Norris was curiously called back into the pits. It later transpired that the British driver had cut the first corner and would have seen his lap time deleted anyway.

As a result, he headed back out before his rivals in pursuit of a banker lap. The 25-year-old went seventh-quickest with his first time, as part of a push-cool-push approach.

For all the promise shown by Williams through practice, Sainz and Albon could not find the pace to reach Q3, only going fast enough for P13 and P14, respectively.

Norris, who had fallen into the drop zone, made it into the final part of qualifying at the death, knocking out Ollie Bearman, whilst Tsunoda and Hamilton survived in ninth and tenth.

OUT IN Q2: P11: Bearman, P12: Nico Hulkenberg, P13: Sainz, P14: Albon, P15: Esteban Ocon

Q1

The Mercedes pair of Russell and Antonelli bucked the soft-tyre trend for their first timed laps of the session, heading out onto the circuit with medium-compound Pirellis strapped to their W16s.

Leclerc and Hamilton showed early promise, leading Q1 after five minutes, but Sainz, who has been strong all weekend at Monza, had his lap time deleted. Williams team-mate Albon would follow his lead a few minutes later.

Verstappen split the Ferraris with his first push lap, whilst Norris and Piastri threw down a gauntlet, going almost two and almost one tenth quicker than Leclerc, respectively. The former McLaren driver set a 1:19.611.

The track showed considerable signs of improvement as the second timed laps came down, Russell went top on his yellow-walled tyres, with Sainz and Alonso slotting into third and fourth, with Bortoleto in fifth.

As the final push laps ensued, Liam Lawson ran wide at the first Lesmo. He pitted at the end of the lap, which was subsequently deleted for track limits.

The New Zealander was joined by the two Alpines, Lance Stroll and his Racing Bulls team-mate, who suffered his first Q1 elimination of his F1 career. Albon narrowly survived.

OUT IN Q1: P16: Hadjar, P17: Stroll, P18: Franco Colapinto, P19: Pierre Gasly, P20: Lawson