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Race driver Max Verstappen claims the top starting spot for Sunday's race in Monza

Verstappen departs from McLaren with a prominent start in the Italian Grand Prix, securing the pole position. Norris closely follows, while Ferrari finds themselves in the second tier of the grid.

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2025 September 15 . 5:32 AM

1 min read

Verstappen clinches the pole position at Monza race

Race driver Max Verstappen claims the top starting spot for Sunday's race in Monza

In a thrilling qualifying session at the iconic Monza circuit, Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured the pole position for the Italian Grand Prix. The Dutch driver posted a time of 1:18.792 minutes, edging out his closest competitor, Lando Norris of McLaren.

Norris initially took the fastest time in the final qualifying lap, but Verstappen managed to overtake him in the final moments of the session. The British driver finished the qualifying in second place, ahead of Oscar Piastri who claimed third.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton will start the race from a lower position due to his penalty from the Zandvoort race. The seven-time world champion finished the qualifying in fifth place, but will start five places back on the grid. His teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, finished the qualifying in seventh place, driving for Mercedes.

The qualifying results show that Ferrari drivers are only in row two. Charles Leclerc finished the qualifying in fourth place, unable to complete a clean lap in the end. His teammate, Carlos Sainz, finished behind him in fifth.

Further down the grid, Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) finished twelfth in the qualifying, while Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) finished behind the favorites.

Verstappen expressed his excitement about standing on pole, stating that the car had improved and allowed him to attack more. His pole position puts McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri in second and third places, respectively.

Kimi Antonelli, who drives for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, did not participate in the qualifying session.

The Italian Grand Prix is set to take place on Sunday, with Verstappen starting from the front of the grid. It promises to be an exciting race, with close competition expected among the top drivers.