Italian Grand Prix 2020 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Pierre Gasly produced one of the most emotional and unexpected victories in recent Formula 1 history, winning the Italian Grand Prix for AlphaTauri in a chaotic race at Monza. The Frenchman, who had been demoted from Red Bull to their junior team the previous year, delivered a flawless performance under immense pressure to claim his maiden victory. Starting from 10th on the grid, Gasly capitalized on a perfectly-timed Safety Car period and red flag to move into contention, then held off the faster McLaren of Carlos Sainz in a thrilling finale.

The race was turned on its head by Charles Leclerc's massive crash at the Parabolica, which brought out the Safety Car. Lewis Hamilton, who had been cruising toward victory, was penalized for entering the pit lane when it was closed, receiving a 10-second stop-and-go penalty that dropped him out of contention. The race was then red-flagged when Kevin Magnussen's Haas stopped on track. At the restart, Gasly found himself leading and drove with remarkable composure to fend off Sainz, who finished second with Lance Stroll completing an unlikely podium in third for Racing Point. Hamilton set the fastest lap but could only recover to seventh.

Gasly's victory was deeply emotional, coming just over a year after his Red Bull demotion and dedicated to the memory of Anthoine Hubert, his close friend who had died at Spa the previous year. The triumph marked AlphaTauri's (formerly Toro Rosso) first victory since Sebastian Vettel's 2008 Italian Grand Prix win at the same circuit. It proved that on the right day, with the right circumstances, even the midfield teams could challenge Mercedes' dominance.