2026 Formula 1 Italian GP
F1 Italian GP live commentary and updates - qualifying
Follow along for Formula 1 qualifying at Monza's Italian Grand Prix
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Antonelli sets a 1m22.334s, but Russell gets a 1m22.161s to get to the top...
But Gasly, again, is fastest...before the two McLarens find something, Piastri did a 1m22.017s and Norris is half a tenth behind.
The Ferraris haven't really shown up, and Hamilton is currently 11th.
We've got the rest of the Q2 contenders out now, following Red Bull's early efforts. Mercedes positions Antonelli ahead of Russell to help punch a hole in the air. Bearman is just behind Russell.
Gasly, Ocon, and Leclerc are also starting laps, and the former is looking good in sector one.
Verstappen gets a 1m22.573s, and Lawson a 1m22.828s. It should be enough, but who knows?
Sainz was a further second behind, having tried to eat Verstappen's tow.
"The car is broken on the rear axle again, undriveable in Turn 2, 4 and 5," Verstappen says.
Q2 open for business
Verstappen and Lawson are out nice and early to do some tow-based work to help the Dutchman, followed by Sainz - who'll have to borrow a tow off another team to help his cause.
Norris asks if there's "anything we can do" with his brakes, as he's still not happy. Both McLarens really seemed to struggle with that run into Turn 1.
"Thanks for being a team player, Alex", says Albon's engineer, who sacrified his own lap to help Sainz get through.
Eliminated in Q1
17. Tsunoda
18. Albon
19. Bottas
20. Perez
21. Alonso
22. Stroll
Norris sets a 1m22.659s to go third, Bearman doesn't improve, Piastri might be able to do a lap.
Gasly stays top, as Hulkenberg moves up to 14th to push Tsunoda into the drop zone!
Piastri indeed finishes his lap, but stays 11th.
Alonso is also out of the car, so that's his day done.
Piastri locks up at Turn 1, so that's that lap over before it really began. Norris finds time in the middle sector, using a tow off Antonelli - who calls his lap over.
Lawson gets a set of softs, now that his Verstappen-taxi role is done, and goes out on a clear track. He's up to 10th, 0.377s off the pace, to split the McLarens.
Everyone except Verstappen and the Ferraris goes out again.
Elimination zone with five minutes remaining
17. Hulkenberg
18. Albon
19. Bottas
20. Alonso
21. Stroll
22. Perez
Leclerc is seventh, 0.290s off Gasly. Verstappen's already out of the car, presumably pleased with his lap and feeling he doesn't need to go again.
Most of the rest of the field are certainly not in the same boat. Bearman gets up to eighth, ahead of the McLarens.
Lindblad moves up to 10th, and Tsunoda - now on-track - is 12th until the Alpines swarm to the top of the charts. Gasly is top now, a 1m22.612s, with Colapinto half a tenth off in third.
Alpine at the peak of the time-sheets, then.
Lawson moves up to seventh on those mediums, ahead of Sainz.
Antonelli starts a lap, gets a purple middle sector...at least, until Russell beats that.
And how do they stack up? Antonelli gets a 1m22.758s, then Russell a 1m22.779s - so second and third.
Verstappen posts a 1m22.631s to move up to top spot over Hamilton, as Norris reports a problem with the brakes on his McLaren - he goes over the gravel at Turn 1, but has another crack and sets a 1m23.005 to go fifth.
The Mercs are now out on-track, Russell on mediums.
Tsunoda is not on-track, owing to an apparent fuel system issue. Neither VCARB, Alpine, or Mercedes is on-track just yet.
Now there's a bit more interest - Liam Lawson is first on the road, using the medium and he'll presumably circulate to ensure Verstappen can get a tow.
We're close to a full house already, as the drivers look to get a banker lap on board.
Q1 begins
It's time! The first stage of qualifying is open for business - but no takers just yet.
Liam Lawson will also take a power unit penalty for this round, so expect him to help Verstappen out with a tow in qualifying.
For those who tracked his FP2 stints, this isn't entirely surprising - the Kiwi cut his soft-tyre runs short to do two long stints through the rest of the session on both soft and hard tyres, evidently preparing for a long afternoon and seeking to maximise race pace.
15 minutes until qualifying kicks off, and we've got a fight on our hands.
George Russell had a 0.2s advantage over the rest of the field in FP3, but Ferrari will be angling to get Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the hunt for a home pole.
Kimi Antonelli will start at the back tomorrow, but he could be a bit of a secret weapon for Russell if Mercedes can orchestrate the tow.
And we've not seen much from McLaren either, but has it been keeping its powder dry? And can Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad spring a surprise? He's shown up well against the Red Bulls so far...
George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Italian GP qualifying coming up
And hello again - we're back! Qualifying will kick off in approximately 40 minutes' time, and it's going to be a wild old session if FP3 was anything to go by.
Drivers were trying to sniff around for a slipstream on their soft-tyre runs, and you'll probably see quite a lot of that in Q1 as the midfielders attempt to beat the drop.
Expect a few attempts from teams orchestrating a tow between their drivers!
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
