> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Why F1 pole shocks like Gasly's are close to extinct - URL: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/why-f1-pole-shocks-like-gaslys-are-close-to-extinct/ - Published: 2026-09-08T12:15:20.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-08T12:15:20.000Z - Description: It had been a long, long time since a team like Alpine had put a car on F1 pole in conventional conditions. And it might still be before it happens again - Author: Jon Noble - Tags: Formula 1, #alpine, #primary_homepage_feature Pierre Gasly’s pole position at the Italian Grand Prix was one of the biggest shocks that Formula 1 has seen in a while. In fact, over the past decade there have been just two pole positions by drivers outside the current big four teams of Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. That was Kevin Magnussen’s sprint pole for Haas from the 2022 Brazilian GP and Lance Stroll’s top spot for Racing Point in 2020 Turkish GP qualifying. Both of those, however, were assisted by outside influences throwing in an extra level of unpredictability. In Magnussen’s case, it was the weather as a downpour at the end of the session meant his early SQ3 effort could not be toppled. For Stroll, Istanbul’s super slippery track surface threw up a bit of a curveball that Racing Point mastered. Gasly’s moment in the spotlight at Monza was a bit different because it was secured on merit in completely normal dry conditions. The performance spread between everyone was small and key to nailing a qualifying lap was execution and track positioning – something that Alpine did to perfection [as the big squads all got it wrong for different reasons. ](https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/five-reasons-for-gaslys-shock-italian-grand-prix-pole/) Such toppling of the F1 frontrunners on normal weekends does happen, like Felipe Massa’s 2014 Austrian GP pole or Pastor Maldonado’s from his amazing 2012 Spanish GP weekend, both of those achieved by Williams, but is incredibly rare. If we pore through the history books, such unusual outcomes have pretty much dried up – as can be seen from the below table of pole positions by the non-big four squads. --- **Most recent poles by squads outside of 'big four' + team's position in constructors' championship** ![F1 surprise polesitters](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dd/af/ddafbd99-2ccd-468c-b622-4b3cccf80b49/content/images/2026/09/Surprise-poles.png) PIERRE GASLY – ALPINE – **2026** ITALIAN GP (currently 6th) KEVIN MAGNUSSEN – HAAS – **2022** BRAZILIAN GP (8th) – *wet weather* LANCE STROLL – RACING POINT – **2020** TURKISH GP (4th) – *abnormal grip* FELIPE MASSA – WILLIAMS – **2014** AUSTRIAN GP (3rd) PASTOR MALDONADO – WILLIAMS – **2012** SPANISH GP (8th) NICO HULKENBERG – WILLIAMS – **2010** BRAZILIAN GP (6th) - *wet weather* GIANCARLO FISICHELLA – FORCE INDIA – **2009** BELGIAN GP (9th) FERNANDO ALONSO – RENAULT – **2009** HUNGARIAN GP (8th) JARNO TRULLI – TOYOTA – **2009** BAHRAIN GP (5th) SEBASTIAN VETTEL – TORO ROSSO – **2008** ITALIAN GP (6th) – *wet weather* ROBERT KUBICA – BMW SAUBER – **2008** BAHRAIN GP (3rd) --- ## Reality's 'punch in the face' While Alpine had its day in the sun thanks to perfect execution in getting the tow it needed, managing director Steve Nielsen says the team’s performance in the race – where Gasly came home seventh and Franco Colapinto ninth – was a more realistic reflection of what its true pace was. He confessed that the simulations heading into qualifying had suggested the bottom end of Q3 was all that was realistically on the table before it pulled off its surprise. “We were just over the cut-off for Q3,” he told The Race. “I think we were a bit flattered \[in qualifying\] that we didn't make any mistakes. “We got good tows, the drivers didn't make any mistakes, they didn't overdrive, and we put our best lap together. “We got the best out of the car. And honestly, others didn't, and that was good enough to put us on pole.” Alpine, inevitably, allowed itself to hope that, with track position so important in F1, starting at the front could give it a sniff of something awesome on Sunday. But in F1, as Nielsen says, reality only ever “punches you straight in the face” when it comes to turning a good pole into a race result. “In the race, that is our pace,” he said. “We were back to being top of the midfield, which is lovely. But we're still out of reach of the top four, which is where we want to be.” ## The cost cap divide What the “punch in the face” of Alpine reverting to the mean in slipping behind the top four by the chequered flag highlights is that there is a clear divide of teams into two categories. Many in the paddock believe that the divide - and the fact it has been carried through a major rule overhaul - is a consequence of the cost cap. While the cost cap has been critical in improving F1’s overall health since it was introduced in 2021, with teams becoming profit centres rather than facing an endless fight for survival, one surprise element is how it has not equalised things all that much. Yes, the big teams have been unable to throw even more money at winning to make the victory margins bigger. But that has not meant the smaller squads having the freedom to catch up. Williams boss James Vowles is adamant that legacy infrastructure advantages have been locked in – because there is not the spending freedom to allow those behind to catch up. “Best rule decision we made in the sport, it really is,” he told The Race recently about the cost cap. “But what it did is also lock in any advantage or differential that was created by anyone else as a result of it. “It's not a surprise to me that you have the top four and the rest, which is what you have today. Let's be blunt about it. “That is actually more to do with what was created many years ago. Even just basics on how you do your structures, your learning behind it, how you do your outside production, the suppliers you work with. “That's built up over 10 years of investing at the right level. Not one or two years of trying to catch back up. “What cost cap does really well is it means we're a business. But what it does also, unfortunately, is it means that I'm putting a lot of dollars into just trying to fix basics, which others won't be.” Nielsen sees Alpine’s route to success being not about just designing a better car. It is as much about improving efficiency at the factory – so getting a bigger bang for each buck spent. “I think if I look at our own garden, because I can't see other people's unfortunately, where we need to be much better is internal efficiency to maximise the in-cap money that we've got,” he said. “Perhaps be a bit cleverer around how we use it, maximise the regulations. I think there's some quite big wins there for us if we do that.” Alpine is a world away from last year when it ended up bottom in the standings, and Monza has shown that there are days it can shake up the F1 order and make the top teams uncomfortable. But there is a long way to go before it - or anyone else - can join them regularly.