Max Secures Sixth Place in Monza Qualifying: ‘Car Issues’

Max Sixth in Monza Qualifying: “Problem with the Car”

Published on 05 September 2026 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen qualified sixth for the Italian Grand Prix, a position that surprised many given the challenging performance of his car. Pole position was taken by Pierre Gasly in the Alpine, while George Russell secured second place for Mercedes, followed by Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in the second row.

“Shame,” Max reflected after qualifying. “I had a better feeling in FP3; the balance was a little better, but in qualifying, there was something wrong at the rear of the car. We have had that problem before. The car does not cope properly with the kerbs and bumps, causing us to lose time—at least two tenths.”

Max expressed uncertainty about the car’s condition heading into Sunday’s race. “I do not know whether we are allowed to fix the problem. If something is broken, sometimes you can replace it, but sometimes you can’t. If the car stays like this, it will be a painful race because I believe there’s more potential in it.”

Qualifying Summary:

• Temperature: 34°C at the Temple of Speed.

• Q1 Highlights: Pierre Gasly set the fastest time (1:22.612), ahead of Verstappen and Lando Norris. Drivers eliminated included Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll.

• Q2 Highlights: Max reported issues with his car but managed a second run time of 1:22.188, securing P6. Kimi Antonelli and McLaren drivers dominated the session, while Lewis Hamilton barely scraped through to the top ten.

• Q3 Highlights: Russell utilized a slipstream to secure P1 with a time of 1:21.846, followed by Piastri and Gasly. Max ended up in P6 after Hamilton’s late improvement pushed him down.

Final Results of Qualifying:

Results qualifying Italy