Formula 1: Charles Leclerc takes pole for 2019 Italian Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc took his series-high fourth pole position of the 2019 Formula 1 season for Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix, at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc tied Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas atop the pole positions list by taking his fourth pole position of the 2019 Formula 1 season for the 21-race season’s 14th race, the Italian Grand Prix, at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Leclerc took the pole position for this 53-lap race, Ferrari’s home race, around the 11-turn, 3.600-mile (5.794-kilometer) Autodromo Nazionale Monza road course in Monza, Italy by recording a top lap time of 79.307 seconds (163.416 miles per hour) in the third and final round of qualifying for this race.

Hamilton and Bottas qualified in second and third place just 0.039 seconds (0.081 miles per hour) and 0.047 seconds (0.097 miles per hour) behind Leclerc, respectively.

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But this qualifying session, as a whole, was a disaster.

Six drivers recorded lap times before Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen spun out in turn 11, bringing out a red flag. One of those drivers was Bottas, whose lap time initially didn’t count but was reinstated upon review. When the session got back underway, everybody stayed in the pits as the clock wound down.

Eventually, the field of nine remaining qualifiers made their way onto the track, but at an extremely slow pace as they attempted to put themselves in the preferred position in line to get a tow.

When the clock hit 0:00, only McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. and Leclerc had made it around to start their final qualifying laps. Leclerc was already on the provisional pole position at this point.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who appeared to exceed the track limits in his first qualifying run, qualified in fourth place, 0.150 seconds (0.309 miles per hour) behind his teammate, and his time stood. Renault teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg qualified in fifth and sixth, respectively. Sainz could only manage to qualify in seventh on his final run.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon ended up in eighth place ahead of SportPesa Racing Point’s Lance Stroll in ninth, both without recording times in the third and final round of qualifying for this race. Raikkonen was officially classified in 10th, but he may be issued a grid penalty depending on what repairs need to be made to his car.

Alfa Romeo Racing rookie Antonio Giovinazzi, Rich Energy Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat, McLaren rookie Lando Norris and Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly were eliminated following the second round of qualifying after qualifying in 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th place, respectively.

Haas’ Romain Grosjean, Racing Point’s Sergio Perez, ROKiT Williams Racing teammates George Russell, a rookie, and Robert Kubica, and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen were eliminated following the first round of qualifying for the race after qualifying in 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th place, respectively.

Verstappen did not actually record a lap time and was set to start the race from the rear anyway as a result of a penalty for an engine change.

Here are the full qualifying results for the 2019 Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Qualifying Results
1st – Charles Leclerc
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
3rd – Valtteri Bottas
4th – Sebastian Vettel
5th – Daniel Ricciardo
6th – Nico Hulkenberg
7th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
8th – Alexander Albon
9th – Lance Stroll
10th – Kimi Raikkonen
11th – Antonio Giovinazzi
12th – Kevin Magnussen
13th – Daniil Kvyat
14th – Lando Norris
15th – Pierre Gasly
16th – Romain Grosjean
17th – Sergio Perez
18th – George Russell
19th – Robert Kubica
20th – Max Verstappen

ESPN2’s live broadcast of the 2019 Formula 1 season’s 14th race from Autodromo Nazionale Monza is set to begin tomorrow at 9:05 a.m. ET. Be sure to tune in to the Italian Grand Prix.