Italian Grand Prix: Liam Lawson qualifies 12th at Monza as Carlos Sainz pips Max Verstappen to pole

New Zealand driver Liam Lawson feels there are more improvements to come at Monza. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwi driver Liam Lawson has qualified 12th for his second start on a Formula One grid at the Italian Grand Prix.

Lawson finished qualifying one place behind his Scuderia AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda ahead of his second Formula One race, following his 17th place on debut at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend.

They were narrowly eliminated from the top-10 third qualifying session, but Lawson was satisfied.

“Overall, we’ve been progressing over the sessions, building up my confidence,” Lawson said in an AlphaTauri statement.

“You can feel the limit, but it’s also about knowing the step up in grip between the different compounds if you make changes to what it’s going to do to the car, and that just takes some time.”

He’s now feeling “positive” about the team’s chances going into the race tomorrow morning (NZT).

“I’m happy to have made some improvements, and I’m sure there’s more to come,” Lawson said.

“It’s a good position to be starting in, and with both cars so close to each other, I’m positive about points for the team tomorrow.”

Lawson is currently filling in for Aussie driver Daniel Riccardo, who is out with a hand injury.

Carlos Sainz Jr was enjoying a perfect birthday weekend so far after he secured pole position, to the delight of the Ferrari tifosi.

Thousands of red-clad Ferrari fans cheered as Sainz, who turned 29 on Friday, crossed the line 0.013 seconds quicker than runaway Formula One leader Max Verstappen, who is chasing a record 10th straight victory tomorrow.

“Tell me we have it, tell me we have it,” Sainz yelled into his radio after beating Verstappen’s time on his final flying lap.

The roars from the grandstands should have confirmed it.

It was his fourth career pole and first since Austin last year. He was quickest in two of the three practices as the Ferrari team looked good on their home track. Teammate Charles Leclerc will start third on Monday (NZT), just ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.

Grid positions aren’t necessarily as much of a factor at Monza as they are at other tracks. Only Leclerc has converted his pole position into a win at the Italian GP since 2018.

Verstappen won from seventh last year for his first triumph at the Temple of Speed, where he has traditionally struggled. Before he ended his winless run at Monza last year, the Dutch driver had never finished higher than fifth.

But the two-time defending champion is crushingly dominant this season.

Verstappen has won 11 of the 13 races for unbeaten Red Bull and matched Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record of nine straight victories last weekend at the Dutch GP to increase his huge championship lead to 138 points. Teammate Sergio Pérez has the other two victories.

Pérez will start from fifth at Monza, followed by Alex Albon and Oscar Piastri. Lewis Hamilton - who extended his contract with Mercedes on Friday - was eighth-fastest, ahead of Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.

“This weekend for us... was a little bit more tricky but I think we can’t really complain,” Verstappen said. “So many weeks in a row where we put the car on the track and it has been like easygoing and has been really well set up.”