Verstappen reaches 50 F1 poles in Singapore, joins Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton and Vettel
Milestone pole at Marina Bay
Max Verstappen made history when he topped Saturday’s Qualifying session at the Singapore Grand Prix, marking a milestone 50th pole position in Formula 1 for the Dutchman.
The feat puts Verstappen in an exclusive group of drivers who have achieved this milestone in Formula 1 history. Formula1.com notes: "The feat is one that only a select group of drivers in history – five, to be exact – have achieved, and the list that Verstappen joins certainly makes for illustrious reading."
The 50+ pole club
Sebastian Vettel – 57 pole positions
The last driver to reach this landmark was Sebastian Vettel, who clinched his 50th pole position at the 2017 Mexico City Grand Prix. Vettel achieved his first pole in memorable circumstances when, aged just 21 years and two months, he became the sport’s then-youngest ever polesitter by topping Qualifying at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix. The German also converted that result into his maiden F1 victory. After progressing from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, Vettel added 44 more poles and four World Championships. His career total stopped at 57, with his last pole coming at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix.
Ayrton Senna – 65 pole positions
Ayrton Senna secured his first pole position in his sophomore season with Lotus in Portugal, a result that led to his debut F1 victory. Most of his record haul came across his partnership with McLaren between 1988 and 1993. Senna took his 50th pole at the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix, a campaign in which he clinched the second of his three World Championships, and left McLaren with 62 poles. He added three more with Williams in 1994; the last remains shrouded in tragedy, occurring on the same weekend he lost his life at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Michael Schumacher – 68 pole positions
Michael Schumacher surpassed Senna’s long-standing record during his career. After a brief Jordan debut in 1991, Schumacher moved to Benetton and took his first pole at the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix. He scored ten P1 Qualifying results across his title-winning 1994 and 1995 campaigns before reaching dizzying heights with Ferrari. His 50th pole occurred at Suzuka in 2002, while his 68th and final pole position took place at the 2006 French Grand Prix. Schumacher topped Q3 at Monaco in 2012 during his Mercedes comeback, but a five-place grid penalty meant he ultimately started sixth.
Lewis Hamilton – 104 pole positions
Lewis Hamilton leads the all-time pole position chart by a staggering margin. Hamilton took his first pole at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix in his debut McLaren season and left the team in 2012 with 26 poles to his name. His milestone 50th pole came at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix with Mercedes. One year later at Monza he surpassed Schumacher’s previous total to become the driver with the most pole positions in F1 history, eventually extending the record to a whopping 104 at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2023. While he has taken Sprint poles since his move to Ferrari, a Grand Prix pole position has eluded Hamilton so far with the Scuderia.
With his 50th pole in Singapore, Verstappen joins that illustrious quintet and continues his record-building career.