F1 Qualifying Report & Results 2024 Italian Grand Prix

Event: Italian Grand Prix
Track: Monza Circuit

Weather: dry  33.3°C
Tarmac: dry  49.2°C
Humidity : 37.0%
Wind : 5.4 km/h South

Lando Norris scored his 5th F1 pole position of his career during the 2024 Italian Grand Prix qualifying session today. The McLaren driver will start from P1 for the first time at Monza. It was the 160th pole for the McLaren F1 team.

2024 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying Report

The 2024 Formula 1 season has brought us to the iconic Autodromo Nazionale Monza for Round 16, where the temple of speed delivered a thrilling and unpredictable qualifying session. McLaren's Lando Norris emerged as the star of the day, securing pole position with an impressive performance. Let’s break down the action that unfolded across Q1, Q2, and Q3.

Q1: Early Exits for Tsunoda and Stroll, Drama in the Gravel

The first qualifying session saw a few surprises and some unfortunate exits. As the session began, drivers were keen to secure a strong lap time to avoid the drop zone. However, trouble struck for Williams' Franco Colapinto and Haas' Kevin Magnussen, both of whom found themselves in the gravel at different points, causing yellow flags that disrupted several drivers' laps.

Franco Colapinto, who had shown promise in earlier practice sessions, went wide at the second Lesmo, dragging gravel onto the track and ending his hopes of advancing to Q2. The session's final moments were tense as drivers scrambled to improve their times. However, it wasn’t enough for Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Colapinto, Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), and Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo), all of whom were eliminated.

Q2: Alonso and Ricciardo Miss the Cut, Mercedes Finds Pace

As Q2 got underway, it was clear that the fight for the top 10 would be fiercely contested. Lewis Hamilton set the early pace for Mercedes, topping the timesheets briefly before being surpassed by the McLarens and Ferraris. Hamilton’s teammate George Russell also delivered a solid performance, although he wasn't entirely confident with his car's setup, feeling the need to head back out late in the session to secure his place in Q3.

The midfield battle was intense, with Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Daniel Ricciardo (AlphaTauri), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), and Esteban Ocon (Alpine) all fighting to break into the top 10. However, their efforts fell short, and they were eliminated from the session. Alonso, in particular, struggled to find enough pace in the final sector, leaving him just outside the cutoff in 11th place.

Q3: Norris Seizes Pole while Verstappen Struggles in the Shootout

The final segment of qualifying was nothing short of dramatic. With pole position at Monza being crucial due to the difficulty of overtaking on this high-speed circuit, the pressure was on. McLaren's Lando Norris was the first to set a benchmark, clocking a 1:19.401, which proved unbeatable for the rest of the field. His teammate Oscar Piastri came close but couldn't quite match Norris’s time, securing a front-row lockout for McLaren.

Ferrari, buoyed by the passionate support of the tifosi, put in a strong effort with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. However, they could only manage third and fourth respectively, just behind the McLaren duo. Mercedes' George Russell put in a stellar lap to secure third on the grid, edging out Leclerc by a mere 0.004 seconds.

Seventh qualifier Max Verstappen walks in the Pitlane during qualifying ahead of the 2024 F1 Grand Prix of Italy

The biggest surprise came from Max Verstappen, who could only manage seventh place. Red Bull struggled with understeer throughout the session, and even a tow from teammate Sergio Perez wasn’t enough to propel Verstappen into the top positions. With the Dutchman starting from the fourth row, his quest for victory on Sunday just became significantly more challenging.

Lando Norris's pole position marks a significant achievement for McLaren, demonstrating their resurgence as a formidable force in the 2024 season. As for Verstappen, starting from seventh at a track where overtaking is tough could be a pivotal moment in the championship battle. With such a mixed-up grid, the stage is set for an exhilarating Italian Grand Prix. The race tomorrow promises to be one of the most exciting of the season, with strategy, tire management, and outright speed all playing crucial roles in determining the victor at Monza.

Quickest Sector Times

The quickest sector times during qualifying were:

• Sector 1: 26.223 sec. by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari SF-24.
• Sector 2: 26.579 sec. by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari SF-24.
• Sector 3: 26.253 sec. by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL38.

Last years pole position time was a 1:20.294 min, driven by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari SF-24. Which was almost one second slower than this year's pole time.

Qualifying Times 2024 Italian GP

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