Oscar Piastri’s pole position at the F1 Chinese Grand Prix last weekend made him the tenth driver to do so on the current grid.
That means, just like with race wins, half of the current grid have started from pole position at some point in their career.
Overall, 107 drivers have taken a pole position in the 75 years of Formula One (F1).
To take a pole position in F1 requires speed, precision, and full concentration over the span of a lap.
So let’s look at those who have started at the very front of the grid, from the least amount of pole positions, to the most.
List of F1 Pole Positions
Oscar Piastri
The most recent pole position sitter on this list, after taking his first one last time out in China, is McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Despite having two previous race wins to his name before Shanghai, Piastri had never claimed a Grand Prix position during his two and a bit years at McLaren.
Now with the fastest car on the grid, and the experience of getting his first one last time out, Piastri will probably rocket up this list in the months to come.
Lance Stroll
In the soggy conditions in Istanbul in 2020, Lance Stroll took a memorable pole position in his pink Racing Point.
The Canadian beat Max Verstappen to pole position by 0.290 seconds on a wet track to take what is currently his only pole position in F1.
That weekend is best known for Lewis Hamilton became a seven-time World Drivers’ Champion.
As for Stroll, he went on to finish 9th in that race.
Nico Hulkenberg
At 103 on the list and still with just the one pole position is Nico Hulkenberg.
Then racing for Williams in 2010, the German would take pole position at Interlagos, ahead of the Red Bull’s of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
It wasn’t to be for Hulkenberg in the race though. He finished 8th behind the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher.
George Russell
Seventh on this list is George Russell, who has recorded five pole positions in F1.
That places him 54th on the all time list, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, Jarno Trulli, and level with Keke Rosberg.
Russell’s pole positions came at Hungary, Canada, Great Britain, Las Vegas, and most recently, Qatar.
Carlos Sainz
Now at Williams, Carlos Sainz has the six pole positions to his name, all whilst at Ferrari.
Those pole positions place him 48th on the all-time list.
The Spaniard scored his first pole at Silverstone in 2022, before starting at the front in Spa, Austin, Monza, Singapore, and Mexico City.
Lando Norris
Fifth on this list, and 37th in the all-time rakings, is Lando Norris.
The Brit is also one of the more recent entrants to this list, taking his first pole position in 2021 in Sochi.
He would have to wait until 2024 for his second F1 pole position though, with his recent influx of poles coinciding with McLaren becoming the car to beat.
Fernando Alonso
Up to 15th on the all-time list, but only fourth on the current grid, is the second Spaniard to feature, Fernando Alonso has 22 pole positions to his name.
It was all the way back in 2003 when Alonso would take his first pole. That was for Renault in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Alonso hasn’t had a F1 pole position since 2012, when he started from the front and went on to win the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.
Charles Leclerc
Over his time in Formula One, Charles Leclerc has become known as the king of qualifying with 26 pole positions.
That puts him 12th on the all-time list, and ahead of World Champions like Niki Lauda, Damon Hill, and Kimi Raikkonen.
In fact, Leclerc is the driver with the most pole positions without a World Drivers’ Championship.
His most recent F1 Pole Position came at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen
Second on this list, and fifth overall, is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who has 40 pole positions to his name.
For a driver with 63 race wins to his name, that feels like a surprisingly low amount for the Dutchman.
Verstappen’s first pole position came in Hungary in 2019, with his most recent one being Austria in 2024.
Lewis Hamilton
Finally, top of the pile in both the current grid, and the all-time standings, is Sir Lewis Hamilton, who has 104 Grand Prix positions to his name.
Hamilton is 36 poles clear of his closest challenger, that being Michael Schumacher.
The Brits first pole came in 2007 for McLaren at the Canadian Grand Prix, with his most recent being back in 2023 at the Hungarian Grand Prix.