You understand Max Verstappen better in a year of struggle than when he swept to four Grand Prix championships and multiple race wins. Yes, he will always take unconventional approaches to win, and he can push the rules right to their limits. But when he delivers a performance like this, at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying session, to beat the McLarens to pole position at Monza, it demonstrates just how exceptional a driver he is.

But the race weekend didn’t start well at all; in fact, Verstappen was hardly conspicuous, reduced to a bit-part player in a sea of drivers jockeying for the top positions. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen would go on to secure pole position at Monza with a stunning 1m 18.792s lap, edging Lando Norris by just 0.077s, with Oscar Piastri third. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed, though Hamilton will drop five places due to a grid penalty.

Mercedes’ alternative tyre strategy placed George Russell sixth and home favourite Kimi Antonelli seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto impressed with eighth for Kick Sauber, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda.

Ollie Bearman narrowly missed Q3 in 11th, with Nico Hulkenberg 12th. Williams slipped back after early promise, leaving Carlos Sainz 13th and Alex Albon 14th.

Isack Hadjar, fresh from a podium in Zandvoort, fell to 16th after a Q1 error. Franco Colapinto outqualified Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, while Liam Lawson ended last after a lap deletion.

But as always, the points are awarded on Sunday, not Saturday – Sprint Qualifying aside. While Verstappen’s pole is undeniably a setback for McLaren, their race pace and superior tyre management are likely to be too strong for Verstappen and Red Bull.

And while Verstappen takes the headlines and plaudits, the real question remains: who will actually win the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday – Norris or Piastri?