Norris Takes Pole in McLaren 1-2 as Verstappen Struggles to Seventh at Italian GP

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Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, leading a McLaren 1-2 with a lap of 1m19.327s, narrowly ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri by just 0.035 seconds. This strong showing from McLaren was in contrast to a challenging session for championship leader Max Verstappen, who could only manage seventh place.

George Russell secured third for Mercedes, followed by the Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in fourth and fifth. Lewis Hamilton took sixth, comfortably ahead of the Red Bulls, with Verstappen barely outqualifying his teammate Sergio Perez, who had an off-track excursion during his final lap.

An incident in Q1 where Piastri was released into Verstappen's path in the pits, forcing Verstappen to brake suddenly, is under review by the stewards.

The session was briefly delayed in Q2 due to gravel on the track after incidents involving Franco Colapinto and Kevin Magnussen. Fernando Alonso missed out on Q3, qualifying 11th for Aston Martin. Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, and Esteban Ocon also failed to progress beyond Q2.

In Q1, Ricciardo's last-gasp improvement eliminated Yuki Tsunoda, while Lance Stroll ended up 17th. Rookie Franco Colapinto and the Sauber duo of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu completed the grid.