F1: Valtteri Bottas Storms To Pole For Monza Sprint Race
- Bottas pipped Hamilton to pole position at Monza
- Bottas will be leaving the Mercedes F1 team at the end of this year
- Max Verstappen managed just P3 and was followed by Norris in P4
Outgoing Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas stormed to pole position for the sprint qualifying leg of the Italian GP at Monza. The power heavy track at Monza has suited the Mercedes team because of its inherent engine advantage which is why even Lewis Hamilton managed to qualify in P2 ahead of his main rival for the world championship Max Verstappen who just managed P3. For Hamilton, things may be better as Bottas is poised for a 5 place engine change penalty and he could be elevated to P1.
Norris showed how quick the McLaren can be around Monza
The McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo also underlined the Mercedes power advantage as they qualified in P4 and P5. Pierre Gasly again managed to uplift the AlphaTauri above the Ferraris in P6. Carlos Sainz Jr was the lead Ferrari in P7 ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc in P8. Sergio Perez couldn't extract the maximum from the Red Bull Honda package as he lagged in P9, while Antonio Giovinazzi elevated the Alfa Romeo to P10.
Ferrari's had an improved show from last year's horror show
Sebastian Vettel in the Aston Martin missed the cut for Q3 and managed P11 ahead of his teammate Lance Stroll who managed P12. Fernando Alonso in the Alpine came P13 also ahead of his junior teammate Esteban Ocon in P14. George Russell for once didn't dazzle during qualifying and just managed P15. He was, however, still ahead of his teammate Nicholas Latifi.
Yuki Tsunoda just managed P17, while Mick Schumacher came ahead of Robert Kubica in the Alfa Romeo at P18. His teammate Nikita Mazepin at Haas just managed P20.
1. Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:19.555
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.096
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.411
4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.434
5. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.440
6. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +0.705
7. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.907
8. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.995
9. Sergio Perez Red Bull +1.056
10. Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo +1.253
11. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 1:20.913
12. Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:21.020
13. Fernando Alonso Alpine 1:21.069
14. Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:21.103
15. George Russell Williams 1:21.392
16. Nicholas Latifi Williams 1:21.925
17. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:21.973
18. Mick Schumacher Haas 1:22.248
19. Robert Kubica Alfa Romeo 1:22.530
20. Nikita Mazepin Haas 1:22.716
Related News
Latest Cars
Upcoming Cars
Trending News
1 min readTriumph Tracker 400: In Pictures
1 min readTriumph Tracker 400 Unveiled in UK
Latest News
Janak Sorap | Dec 17, 2025Triumph Tracker 400: In PicturesTriumph has unveiled the new Tracker 400 based on the Speed 400. Here’s a quick look at the motorcycle in pictures.1 min read
Jaiveer Mehra | Dec 17, 2025Tata Sierra Smart Plus Revealed In Official Pictures: What Do You Get For Rs 11.49 Lakh?While nearly everyone has seen the Sierra in pictures and many in person at dealerships, you’ll likely only have seen the top models. But what is the base variant like?2 mins read
car&bike Team | Dec 17, 20252025 Ducati Panigale V2, Streetfighter V2 Recalled In The USThe recall states that two ABS fuses may have been inadvertently fitted in the wrong positions during wiring assembly and could increase the risk of a crash.3 mins read
Jafar Rizvi | Dec 17, 2025Updated Bajaj Pulsar 220F Does Not Get Dual-Channel ABS; Company Issues ClarificationBajaj Auto has confirmed that the updated Pulsar 220F does not feature dual-channel ABS, contradicting earlier reports.1 min read
Janak Sorap | Dec 16, 2025Triumph Tracker 400 Unveiled in UKBased on the Speed 400’s platform with the tune from the Thruxton 400.1 min read
car&bike Team | Dec 16, 2025Kawasaki Versys-X 300 Offered With Rs 25,000 DiscountAfter the discount, the entry-level Kawasaki Adventurer tourer is priced at Rs 3.24 lakh (ex-showroom).3 mins read
Janak Sorap | Dec 11, 2025Harley-Davidson X440 T First Ride Review: Smarter and SharperHarley-Davidson has taken the X440 and given it a more focused and engaging twist. The result is the X440 T—essentially the same platform but updated in areas that give the motorcycle more appeal and riders more thrill.5 mins read
Shams Raza Naqvi | Dec 10, 20252025 Mini Cooper Convertible Review: More Colour On Indian RoadsThe updated Mini Cooper Convertible is set to be launched in the Indian market in the next few days. We drive it around Jaisalmer for a quick review.1 min read
Bilal Firfiray | Dec 8, 2025Tata Sierra Review: India’s New Favourite?Marking its return after a few decades, the reborn Sierra has made everyone sit up and take notice. But is it worth the hype?10 mins read
Girish Karkera | Dec 4, 20252026 Honda Prelude First Drive: Domesticated Civic Type RA sporty-looking coupe built to give customers a taste of performance but not at the expense of everyday practicality.5 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Nov 29, 2025Mahindra XEV 9S First Drive Review: Big Electric SUV, Bigger ExpectationsThe XEV 9S lands at a time when the EV crowd is growing fast. It’s a big, born-electric, three-row SUV that starts under 20 lakh. It sits close to the XUV700 in size, but the brief is very different. Here’s what it’s like on the road.11 mins read