Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

It is tight at the top, three-tenths splitting the top six and then it's another three-tenths back to the two Red Bulls.

1. Lando Norris

2. Oscar Piastri

3. George Russell

4. Lewis Hamilton

5. Carlos Sainz

6. Charles Leclerc

7. Sergio Perez

8. Max Verstappen

9. Nico Hulkenberg

10. Alex Albon

"I had no **** grip at all on this set, shocking."

George Russell is the third-fastest car after the opening runs and Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton is fifth.

Max Verstappen is down in eighth place. The Red Bull driver has it all to do now.

The McLarens are one-two in qualifying for the moment, as Lando Norris leaps to the top of the timesheets with a time 0.035 seconds better than team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Jennie Gow
F1 pit-lane reporter

Albon, Perez and Hulkenberg are the drivers out there who are on used tyres, everyone else is out on a soft tyre that is new and shiny.

Oscar Piastri is flying the flag for McLaren first and puts in the best opening sector.

Alex Albon sets the first benchmark with a 1:20.870 but that's quickly beaten by the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg and the Red Bull of Sergio Perez.

Piastri crosses the line to go top! The Australian's time is a 1:19.436.

If you think back to last year's Italian Grand Prix, pole position changed hands three times in the dying seconds of qualifying between Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.

Spaniard Sainz has just been noted for an unsafe release, which involved Verstappen again.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy championship leader on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

The uniqueness of Monza is its very long straights, you have so much time to think about it, it's almost too much. You can easily overthink it, especially in a race situation, you've got so much time to look in your mirrors you end up getting glued to them.

This track requires a lot of discipline and it's all about being tidy.

Image source, Reuters

Sorry, folks.

I haven't got eight thumbs available for you to vote for your pick for pole.

Q3 is open for business.

Jeremiah Kariuki: That's a Hamilton hammer time for Q2. He must be hoping he repeats the same for Q3. Still a pole for anyone in the top six.

Andrew Priestley: An eight-way battle for pole? Yes, please.

Nulla Pax: Come on Ferrari - let's see them Tifosi dancing

Jennie Gow
F1 pit-lane reporter

Hamilton fastest but then Verstappen again finding a lap from what seemed like nowhere to put him in P2.

Once again Hulkenberg doing a really good job, Haas just have that performance on a Saturday that they can't quite keep on a Sunday, but nonetheless it's pretty impressive from Hulkenberg.

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:19.641

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.021

3. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.086

4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.158

5. Oscar Piastri +0.167

"I think P11 is better than expected."

11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

12. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

13. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

15. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

Image source, Reuters

Fernando Alonso misses the cut by 0.010 seconds.

Max Verstappen moves up to second place behind Lewis Hamilton with a 1:19.662. Daniel Ricciardo has dropped into the bottom five as Alex Albon holds on to safety by lifting his Williams to ninth.

Abbi Pulling
F1 Academy championship leader on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

[On the cars not turning] The car is just not reacting in the way the drivers want or expect, clearly [Leclerc] is wanting a bit more on the nose, as we call it in drivers' terms, he wants it a bit more pointiness and he's not getting it.

Lewis Hamilton flashes 'out lap' next to his name on the timesheets. The seven-time world champion is putting in another Q2 shift.

Image source, Reuters

Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, the top three as it stands, look to be staying in the garage, while Oscar Piastri in fourth and Max Verstappen in fifth are both back out on track for another lap.

Alex Albon is the man just above the safety zone in 10th spot.