Monza track record and pole position for Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen (Scuderia Ferrari) sets the fastest ever lap time at Autodromo Nazionale Monza (1:19.119) and takes the pole position for the Italian Grand Prix, the 14th round of the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship. It’s the 18th F1 pole position in a career for Raikkonen and the first since his best qualifying time last year in May at Monaco Grand Prix.

When everybody was expecting that Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton will set the fastest time, as they did eleven times his year (Vettel five, Hamilton six), Kimi Raikkonen rounded the perfect lap at the iconic circuit in Italy and secured the P1 on the starting grid tomorrow.

Raikkonen will share the front row with Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel, who was 0.161 seconds slower (1:19.284). Lewis Hamilton was further 0.014 seconds slower than Vettel and he will share the second row with teammate Valtteri Bottas.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) was the fifth fastest in qualifying, ahead of Romain Grosjean (Haas). Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault), Esteban Ocon (Force India), Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) and Lance Stroll (Williams) completed the top 10.