Pierre Gasly secured his maiden Formula 1 pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, leading Alpine to a revitalising double-points finish at Monza.
The French driver took a shock Saturday pole before crossing the line seventh behind race winner Kimi Antonelli.
Teammate Franco Colapinto recovered from an off-track excursion to finish ninth, cutting Alpine’s deficit to fifth-placed Racing Bulls to 13 points in the constructors’ standings.
New Madrid Track Tests Alpine
“It meant a lot to all the team, because it’s not like we’ve had easy weekends, especially coming from last year into 2026,” Gasly told formula1.com.
The breakthrough ends a 17-year wait for an Enstone pole, transforming morale inside the factory.
Speaking to TSN, Gasly noted the team’s improved race pace.
“The gap with the cars in front was smaller than the gap with the car behind. That’s what we’ve got to build on and hopefully we can repeat this type of performance more often. There’s a new belief as well.”
Alpine must now prove their single-lap efficiency can survive high-downforce demands at the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
The new circuit features punishing banked corners, creating a stark contrast to the low-drag layout that flattered Alpine in Italy.
Other rivals meanwhile suffered a dismal Monza failure.
The true capability of this aerodynamic package will be exposed during Friday practice at the Madring.
