Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he has not yet come to terms with the fact that he has earned more pole positions than any other driver in Formula 1 history.

The three-time world champion thrived in difficult conditions during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, battling through the rain to record a time which was a comfortable 1.1 seconds faster than his next closest challenger.

The memorable display took his tally of pole positions up to 69, surpassing seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher as the most successful one-lap driver ever in Formula 1.

"It is very hard to find the words to explain how I feel. I am still trying to figure it all out," he told reporters.

"The weather has been incredibly tricky for us all. To come here to this beautiful country and face typically English weather was a massive challenge.

"It was very difficult to see out there, difficult to see the lines and, as always in the rain, very easy to make mistakes. But I gave it everything with that last lap and it probably won't sink in for a long time."

Victory for Hamilton at Monza would see him move above Sebastian Vettel in the drivers' championship for the first time this season.