Raikkonen takes Monza pole with F1's fastest ever lap

Kimi Raikkonen incredibly snatched pole position for the Italian Grand Prix as Ferrari's hopes of securing a first home win since 2010 were given an enormous boost. Sebastian Vettel had been expected to secure Saturday honours, but the Finn benefitted from a tow to deliver the fastest lap in Formula 1 history.

Raikkonen clocked one minute 19.119 seconds - averaging the highest speed ever seen on an F1 lap - breaking the record set by Juan Pablo Montoya at Monza in 2004.

Vettel came home a tenth adrift of his team-mate and delivered a curt "we'll speak later" over the radio, having been sent out ahead of Raikkonen in both Q3 runs.

Lewis Hamilton will start third, having seen his provisional pole time in Q3 demolished by the red cars. Valtteri Bottas is alongside his Mercedes colleague in fourth.

Although the focus has been on Hamilton and Vettel's battle for the title, Raikkonen could write one of the most incredible chapters of this season as he starts in the prime position to seal his first grand prix win in over half a decade.

Max Verstappen was in a battle of his own in fifth, with Daniel Ricciardo starting the race from the back of the grid.

Another Q3 headline came from the Williams garage as they made Q3 for the first time, Lance Stroll qualifying 10th. Carlos Sainz Jr will start seventh, with Esteban Ocon alongside him on row four and Pierre Gasly ninth.

QUALIFYING RESULTS

Q2

Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg dropped out, with engine penalties relegating both to the back of the grid. Sergey Sirotkin went out with Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen, who wrecked each other's final flying laps by squabbling into turn one.

Q1

Just a week removed from their qualifying triumph in Spa, Force India saw Sergio Perez fall out at the first hurdle by one thousandth of a second. Stoffel Vandoorne was slowest of all for the third time in four races, with Charles Leclerc, Brendon Hartley and Marcus Ericsson - following his monster crash on Friday - all joining him.