Stroll's P4 good for a seat on the front row!

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If Lance Stroll's detractors still had any doubts about his talent the Canadian put those to rest with an outstanding performance in qualifying for the Italian GP.

The truncated delayed session was wet throughout but the 18-year-old Williams driver negotiated the successive segments with any major drama, and properly splashed through Q3 to secure the fourth best time, over a second faster than team mate Felipe Massa!

A feat made even more impressive by the fact that Stroll has never driven an F1 car in the wet.

"It was a lot of fun," casually said Stroll after his remarkable session.

"The car felt good, I had never driver a Formula 1 car before in the wet, I just tossed it around and it worked out today."

Hamilton clinches pole record in rain-hit Monza qualifying

As a result of the penalties impacting both Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, the Canadian will find himself flanked by Lewis Hamilton at the head tomorrow's grid, and will become the youngest ever driver to start a Grand Prix from the front row.

"We've been struggling a lot over the last weekends with the car in the dry, and not being able to get out of Q1 and today we just put it together.

"The race is tomorrow, so we've got to stay focused, starting from the front row of the grid, and hopefully we can have a good one."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.