Verstappen set the fastest lap in F1 history with 1:18.792, taking pole for the Italian Grand Prix and surpassing Lewis Hamilton’s 2020 record.
Max Verstappen reminded the world of his brilliance on Saturday at Monza, setting the fastest lap in F1 history to snatch pole position for the Italian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull champion produced a blistering final effort of 1:18.792, averaging 264.681kph, to edge McLaren rival Lando Norris by just 0.077 seconds.
In doing so, Verstappen eclipsed the previous record of 1:18.887, set by Lewis Hamilton in 2020, also at the famed Temple of Speed.
“Yes guys! That’s unbelievable. A really good job. It worked out. It’s all good,” Verstappen exclaimed over team radio after his record-breaking run.
The result marked the 45th pole of Verstappen’s career, his fifth of the season, and his first since Silverstone in July.
Chasing Victory After a Drought
Despite his dominance in qualifying, Verstappen has struggled to convert poles into wins this year. He has not stood atop the podium since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May, with McLaren’s Norris increasingly emerging as the man to beat, thanks to superior tyre management.
“I think that final lap was pretty decent,” Verstappen told reporters. “To get pole here for us is big. It’s not always been a good track for us—last year was quite a disaster.”
Norris, whose 1:18.869 also beat Hamilton’s old benchmark, looked poised for pole before Verstappen’s late surge. The McLaren has consistently shown more strength in race trim, something Verstappen is well aware of.
“I don’t sit here and think it’s going to be easy to be in front of McLaren. The whole season has shown that,” he admitted.
