WATCH: Ride onboard with Sainz as he secures pole in front of the Ferrari faithful for the Italian Grand Prix

Carlos Sainz was in stellar form as he came out on top during qualifying for the 2023 Italian Grand Prix. The Ferrari man delighted the home crowd as a 1m 20.294s lap got the job done ahead of Max Verstappen and team mate Charles Leclerc.

The Spaniard had led the way after the first of the Q3 runs in Monza, but improvements for Verstappen and Leclerc meant he needed his own gain to secure P1 for the race – something he managed to achieve on his final hot lap.

READ MORE: Sainz pips Verstappen and Leclerc to pole in ultra-close Italian GP qualifying

A day after his 29th birthday, pole will have been the ideal gift for the Spaniard, and he’ll hope to convert it into what could be his first podium of the season.

Click on the video player above to ride onboard with Sainz on his pole lap around the ‘Temple of Speed’.