Russell aims to trim Antonelli’s F1 lead at Italian GP, but starts behind surprise polesitter Gasly

George Russell aims to narrow Kimi Antonelli's lead in the F1 championship table, with his Mercedes teammate lining up at the back of the grid for the Italian Grand Prix. Antonelli, who is aiming to become Formula 1's youngest champion, will start behind surprise polesitter Pierre Gasly, who secured the top spot in qualifying for the first time in his career.

Russell, currently second in the standings, will be chasing down Antonelli, who trails him by 59 points. The 20-year-old Antonelli has been handed a significant grid penalty at Monza, following Mercedes' decision to swap his car's power unit to mitigate potential reliability issues in the latter stages of the season.

McLaren's Lando Norris is seeking his third victory of the season, hoping it will help him accelerate his title defense. Norris starts from eighth place, having previously triumphed in Hungary and the Netherlands, narrowing the gap to Antonelli to 83 points.