FACTS AND STATS: The irresistible Ferrari connection with Monza continues as they score a record 23rd pole

Carlos Sainz grabbed a scintillating pole position at Ferrari’s home race, sending the crowds absolutely wild. With Max Verstappen lining up alongside in P2, the Spaniard was celebrating on Saturday, but will have a tough job on his hands come Sunday. That wasn’t the only surprise from qualifying though, so here are the best facts and stats from the Autodromo Nazionale Monza…

• Ferrari take their 23rd pole position at Monza, the most by any constructor at any circuit.

• Carlos Sainz nabbed his first pole position of the season, having taken only one front row start all year back in Spain.

• Max Verstappen has started on pole in Monza, but he’s never been quickest in qualifying – inheriting P1 in 2021 after Valtteri Bottas was handed a grid drop.

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• The Dutchman has won four times from his last 10 starts from P2 on the grid.

• Charles Leclerc qualified third, having been outqualified by a team mate at Monza for the first time in his career.

• Both Ferraris are in the top three on the grid at their home race for the first time since 2018.

• George Russell grabbed fourth, for back to back top four starts having been third in Zandvoort last weekend.

• Sergio Perez has managed only his second top five start in the last nine races with P5 on the grid.

• Alex Albon has scored his team’s best start in Monza since Lance Stroll was on the front row for Williams here in 2017.

• This was also Albon’s fifth Q3 appearance in the last seven races.

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• Oscar Piastri outqualified his team mate for the second time in the last three races.

• Lewis Hamilton could only manage eighth, for his worst Q3 performance at Monza in a decade.

• Lando Norris’ ninth was his worst qualifying at Monza since his rookie season in 2019.

• Fernando Alonso has maintained his record of reaching Q3 at every race this season, although P10 was his worst qualifying for Aston Martin.

• Yuki Tsunoda missed out of Q3 by just 0.011s.

• With Tsunoda 11th and Liam Lawson 12th, it marked just the second time this season that both AlphaTauri cars wound up in the top 12 after Monaco.

• The last time Alpine lost both cars in Q1 was way back in Singapore 2016, when the team were still under their Renault name and Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer were driving.

• Pierre Gasly qualified 17th, having finished on the podium last weekend and at a track where he recorded his only f1 victory to date.

• Esteban Ocon suffered back to back Q1 eliminations, and now hasn’t reached Q3 for the last six races.

• Magnussen and Zhou have both been out in Q1 nine times this season. It was also the 11th time out of 14 race weekends that the Dane has been outqualified by Nico Hulkenberg.

• Lance Stroll propped up the field, for his second Q1 elimination of the year after Miami.