Pierre Gasly concedes Italian GP pole 'absolutely not' possible without key introduction

Pierre Gasly has conceded that securing pole for the Italian Grand Prix would "absolutely not" have been possible without Alpine's recent upgrades.

The Frenchman stunned the Formula 1 paddock in Monza by beating George Russell to a career-first pole, at the same venue where Gasly's maiden victory came back in 2020.

Alpine looked quick throughout qualifying, with Gasly being fastest in the first and final parts of qualifying.

Crucially, the Enstone-based outfit ran an incredibly thin rear wing, while it got its track positioning absolutely perfect in terms of gaining a tow.

However, a key element of Gasly's and Alpine's performance was its recent upgrade, which was introduced at the Dutch Grand Prix. Without it, Gasly is confident pole would never have even been a remote possibility in Monza.

Asked if pole was possible without the recent upgrade, Gasly said: "Absolutely not. Yeah, I mean, the package brought us a lot of performance already in Zandvoort. 

"We saw we were a lot more competitive and I think it’s also, like, sort of giving me a little bit more what I need inside the car in terms of pushing my entries, being able to come into the corner, having a bit more consistent feeling with the car. 

"No, the package definitely brought us good performance. Again, never imagined that we’d be in that position following Zandvoort."

Alpine's top speed has been impressive all weekend, but converting pole into a second F1 victory is an entirely different challenge.

Gasly is planning to give it everything to secure a shock win, although when asked if Alpine has the race pace to secure victory, he replied: "That's a problem for tomorrow."