Pierre Gasly pulled off something special at Monza on Saturday, and even Max Verstappen couldn't help but appreciate it. The Alpine driver absolutely nailed qualifying to secure his maiden Formula 1 pole position, beating Mercedes' George Russell by over a tenth of a second at the Temple of Speed. It's the kind of result that reminds you why we love this sport, and the four-time world champion made sure to give credit where it's due.

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Speaking to Canal+ after qualifying, Verstappen was full of praise for his former Red Bull teammate. He explained how Gasly's lap stood out from the moment the session began, describing it as a fantastic effort that he's genuinely happy about. For Verstappen, this kind of unpredictability is exactly what Formula 1 needs. He reckons surprises like Gasly's maiden pole are brilliant for the sport and the teams involved, and he's hoping Alpine can carry that momentum into Sunday's race and actually fight for the win.

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The pole itself is historic for a few reasons. It marks the first time a Frenchman has claimed pole position at the Italian Grand Prix since Jean Alesi back in 1997. It's also Alpine's first pole at Monza since 2009 when the Enstone outfit was hunting championships. For Gasly personally, this comes after a rough Monaco weekend where the FIA stripped him of his podium finish weeks after the race ended, so getting back to form at Monza with his career-first pole is the perfect response.

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Verstappen did have a frustrating qualifying of his own though. He ended up starting P6 after losing his tow opportunity when Liam Lawson failed to make the cut for Q3. That means he'll line up alongside Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari on Sunday. Gasly and Russell will have the whole grid watching them from the front, with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc occupying the second row. It's set up for an absolutely cracking race day at Monza.

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