Image source, Getty Images

Well, that was a hell of a shift for the BBC Sport elves. We're all going to march into the forest and have a good nap in preparation for tomorrow's race.

Before we go, one final word of praise for today's record-breaker Lewis Hamilton, whose 69th career pole - achieved at the end of an interminable, soaking qualifying session - surely ranks among the best of his career.

I'll leave you with easy-to-follow directions to Andrew Benson's report - here - and Gary Rose's Hamilton poles stat piece - here.

We'll be back with you from 11:30 BST tomorrow.

See you then.

After engine penalties are applied, this is how the drivers will line up on Sunday:

1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2 Lance Stroll, Williams, 3 Esteban Ocon, Force India, 4 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 5 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 6 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 7 Felipe Massa, Williams, 8 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, 9 Sergio Perez, Force India, 10 Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso

11 Kevin Magnussen, Haas, 12 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 13 Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber, 14 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 15 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, 16 Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso, 17 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 18 Jolyon Palmer, Renault, 19 Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 20 Romain Grosjean, Haas

Image source, .

What Lewis Hamilton has achieved today really is quite something.

When I was growing up that mark of 65 poles belonging to Ayrton Senna looked impervious. That was of course before Michael Schumacher came along and totally rewrote the record books...

Hamilton has now eclipsed both Senna and Schumacher to take possession of one of the most coveted records in the sport.

How did he do it? Well, we have all the answers in this superb feature compiled by m'coll Gary Rose.

Enjoy.

Lance Stroll, P4 (will line up in P2): "It was a great qualifying session. I just tossed the car around - had great fun. I felt the car was performing well under me. Braking felt good. We seem to have a much more competitive car in the wet than the dry.

"I felt free. It was my first time driving a Formula 1 car in proper wet conditions.

We have to run our own race tomorrow. We will see what happens. I am not going to predict anything. I am going to do my start the same way I do if I was 12th."

Sebastian Vettel, P8 (will start in P6): "I have no idea what the problem was. I was surprised by how quick the others went. At this stage we don't know why. It was an important day but it is what it is and we will see how it goes tomorrow.

"We have a good car so we don't need to be afraid. The car is quick - we know that and you can overtake here - it should be a fun race.

"Years ago we were able to run in the wet. It is fine for us - we are sat in the dry but for the fans out there it is pretty ugly."

We are now going with these as the official times from Q3. Order is unchanged. Of course, once penalties are applied it will look different again.

Stroll will be starting on the front row for a start, after those Red Bulls take engine penalties...

1 HAM Mercedes 1:35.554

2 VER Red Bull 1:36.702

3 RIC Red Bull 1:36.841

4 STR Williams 1:37.032

5 OCO Force India 1:37.719

6 BOT Mercedes 1:37.833

7 RAI Ferrari 1:37.987

8 VET Ferrari 1:38.064

9 MAS Williams 1:38.251

10 VAN McLaren 1:39.157

Image source, .

Lewis Hamilton 69th career pole means that six men have now held the record outright since the F1 world championship began in 1950.

Ignoring the sport's first ever pole sitter, Giuseppe Farina, the first driver to hold the outright record was five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who was the first man to take two F1 poles and would eventually retire with a record of 29 poles from 53 entries.

Fangio traded the record with two-time champion Alberto Ascari (14 poles from 33 entries) through the 1953 season before taking outright ownership until Jim Clark usurped him by claiming his 30th career pole at the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix.

Clark's ultimate record of 33 poles from 73 entries stood for 21 years before Ayrton Senna beat it at the 1989 US Grand Prix.

Senna (162 entries) eventually marched the record out to a stunning 65 poles, a figure he would have doubtless added to but for his untimely death at Imola in 1994.

His record stood for another 12 years before Michael Schumacher's pole at the 2006 San Marino Grand Prix took him clear on 66.

Schumacher's career ended with 68 poles from 308 entries. Hamilton has now beaten that mark at just his 201st grand prix weekend.

Not our times. These are the 'official' times being reported on the F1 website and other outlets. As soon as we have the corrected times we will bring you them.

To the best of our knowledge, the actual order of the top 10 is correct.

So, more that three and a half hours after qualifying began, Lewis Hamilton has set a new record for F1 pole positions.

It's a huge moment for him personally and puts him firmly into some exalted company.

Andrew Benson's report is now live and will sum it all up.

Pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton: "Firstly, Italy, I love you, even though we are in Ferrari's homeland I appreciate all the support.

"It's great to break this record at such a historic circuit and in such a beautiful country. I am going to have some pasta tonight to celebrate!"

Image source, Getty Images

OK, these seems to be the times we're going with.

So, your top 10 is...

1 Hamilton 1:34.660, 2 Verstappen 1:36.113, 3 Ricciardo 1:36.841, 4 Stroll 1:37.002, 5 Ocon 1:37.580, 6 Bottas 1:35.396, 7 Raikkonen 1:37.031, 8 Vettel 1:36.223, 9 Massa 1:37.456, 10 Vandoorne 1:37.471

Actually, reading through these, they are clearly out of whack. Goodness knows what's gone on.

Water in the computers?

Bear with us on the timings for that session.

Hamilton's pole time is being reported as a 1:34.660 but if you check our 16:33 entry we had that time for him earlier in the session.

Either way, I'm sure pole is indeed Hamilton's, but there's definitely something awry gone on with the times.

Allan McNish
BBC Radio 5 live Formula 1 analyst

Wherever you come from - to achieve that is unbelievable.

Mercedes team radio: "A hectic session there Lewis but brilliant. That's pole position and you've got yourself another record."

A 1:34.660 puts him top of the pile by a massive margin from Verstappen in second.

Verstappen takes provisional pole, Ricciardo goes second and Stroll third for Williams.

Hamilton is down to fourth place but he still has a lap to complete.

Here he comes....

But Ocon loses time in the final sector and he takes third place.

Remember, this guy only made it into Q3 by two thousandts of a second.