Italian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen takes pole ahead of Lando Norris at Monza

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen grabbed the polar position for the Italian Grand Prix from McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Norris jumped to the summit of time after the first difficult run left him seventh, but in July, Verstappen sprayed him for the first pole for the first pole since the British Grand Prix.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s Ferraris were the fastest in the championship wars.

But seven times the champion has a penalty of five and will start the Grand Prix at Monza 10.

This introduces Mercedes’s George Russell as the fifth, his teammate Kimi Antonelli, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda.

Verstappen’s polar time surprised even the Dutch after fighting for speed in application sessions.

More to be followed