At Monza, Lewis Hamilton set the all-time pole record, passing Michael Schumacher. Let’s have a look back at each of his 69 poles.
Lewis Hamilton, 32, came into qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix with 68 career Formula One poles, having achieved career pole #68 at Belgium, tying Michael Schumacher for the all-time record. In qualifying at Monza, Hamilton broke the record, securing his 69th career pole.
Let’s have a look at each and every one of Hamilton’s record 69 pole starts in his Formula One career thus far starting all the way back with his first career pole in his rookie season at Montreal and going all the way through his most recent pole at Monza.
1st pole – Montreal, 2007
Lewis Hamilton claimed his first career pole in his sixth career race. He did so at Montreal in the 2007 season. From pole, he led 67 of the race’s 70 laps en route to his first career victory and sixth straight podium finish to start off his Formula One career driving for McLaren.
2nd pole – Indianapolis, 2007
Hamilton claimed his second career pole the race after he claimed his first. He did so at Indianapolis, also in the 2007 season, for his second pole of the season and in his career. Just like at Montreal, he won the race from the pole position for his second career victory. He led 66 of the race’s 73 laps.
3rd pole – Silverstone, 2007
In his ninth career Formula One race, Lewis Hamilton sat on the pole for the third time. However, unlike at Montreal and Indianapolis, he was unable to dominate the race from pole. He ended up leading only 15 of the race’s 59 laps and finishing in 3rd place. While he did not win, the podium finish was his ninth in a row to start off his Formula One career.
4th pole – Hungaroring, 2007
Hamilton took the pole at the Hungaroring and never looked back. For the first time in his career, he led from the moment the lights went out all the way until the checkered flag, leading all 70 of the race’s laps en route to his third career victory in 11 races, all from the pole position.
5th pole – Mount Fuji, 2007
At Mount Fuji, Hamilton’s 15th career race, he took the pole position for the fifth time. Just as he did following three of his previous four poles, he went on to win the race, taking the checkered flag for the fourth time in his rookie season. He led 55 of the race’s 67 laps.
6th pole – Shanghai, 2007
For the final time in the 2007 season, Hamilton started from the pole position in the 16th race of his career. For the first time in his career, he failed to finish a race, spinning on lap 31 of the 56-lap race after leading 24 laps from the pole position. He ended up finishing was down in 19th place
7th pole – Melbourne, 2008
To open up the 2008 season, Lewis Hamilton took the pole at Melbourne, and he was able to hang on for his fifth career victory. He led 50 of the race’s 58 laps in yet another dominant performance from the pole position.
8th pole – Montreal, 2008
Hamilton made it two for two in terms of taking pole at Montreal. However, this race resulted in a finish not desired by any driver, much less a contender like Hamilton. He ended up finishing in 19th place after crashing on lap 20. Up until the crash, he had led 18 laps of the race.
9th pole – Hockenheimring, 2008
For the third time in the 2008 season, Hamilton sat on the pole, this time at the Hockenheimring. He ended up leading 54 of the race’s 67 laps in a dominant performance en route to his eighth career victory and sixth after starting from the pole position.
10th pole – Hungaroring, 2008
For the second time in two attempts, Hamilton sat on the pole at the Hungaroring. However, unlike in his rookie season, he was unable to win the race. In fact, he only ended up finishing in 5th place. He did complete all 70 of the race’s laps, but he only led one of them.
11th pole – Spa Francorchamps, 2008
Lewis Hamilton sat on the pole at Spa Francorchamps for the first time in his career and drove a solid race, but he was unable to win. He led just 3 of the race’s 44 laps en route to a disappointing, albeit decent, 3rd place finish.
12th pole – Mount Fuji, 2008
Just as he did in his rookie season, Hamilton took the pole for the race at Mount Fuji. However, he was unable to convert that into a victory like he did in 2007. While he finished all 67 of the race’s laps, he didn’t lead any of them and ended up finishing way down in 12th place.
13th pole – Shanghai, 2008
For the second straight season to start off his career, Hamilton sat on the pole at Shanghai. He did much better in the 2008 race than he did in the 2007 race, as he finished in 19th place in his rookie race at Shanghai. In fact, he won the race in 2008 after leading 53 of 56 laps. The win was the ninth of his career and seventh from the pole position.
14th pole – Valencia, 2009
Hamilton claimed his first pole of the 2009 season at a track he had never taken pole at before. He ended up leading 31 of the race’s 57 laps at Valencia, but he was ultimately unable to convert that success into a victory, as he ended up coming home in 2nd place.
15th pole – Monza, 2009
For the first time in his Formula One career, Lewis Hamilton sat on the pole at Monza. He led 20 of the race’s 53 laps, but he was unable to lead the last one. In fact, he was unable to even complete the last one, crashing and ending up back in 12th place.
16th pole – Marina Bay, 2009
Hamilton took the pole at Marina Bay for the first time in his career and dominated the race, leading 57 of 61 laps en route to his first victory in the 2009 season, 11th career victory and eighth from the pole position.
17th pole – Abu Dhabi, 2009
After starting on pole at Abu Dhabi, Hamilton led 16 of the first 20 laps of the races. However, he had issues with his brakes and was forced to retire, leaving the final 35 laps of the 55-lap race incomplete, and leaving him with a 19th place finish.
18th pole – Montreal, 2010
Hamilton’s dominance in Montreal qualifying picked up in 2010 where it left off in 2008. However, this pole was his lone pole of the 2010 season. He started from pole and led 38 of the race’s 70 laps en route to his second victory at Montreal from pole in three attempts. The win was his 13th career win and ninth after starting from the pole position.
19th pole – Yeongam, 2011
At Yeongam, Lewis Hamilton started from pole and actually failed to do what not many polesitters fail to do, and that is lead at least one lap. He run up front all race long and ended up finishing in 2nd place, but he failed to lead a single one of the race’s 55 laps. This pole was his lone pole of the 2011 season.
20th pole – Melbourne, 2012
Hamilton opened up the 2012 season with another pole at Melbourne. However, much like at Yeongam in 2011, he was not the dominant driver of the race. He only managed to lead one of the race’s 58 laps en route to a 3rd place finish.
21st pole – Sepang, 2012
Once again, Hamilton started a race from the pole position and failed to lead the majority of the race. And once again, he failed to win the race. He ended up leading 13 of the race’s 56 laps en route to another 3rd place finish from pole in the 2012 season.
22nd pole – Hungaroring, 2012
Hamilton was dominant once again at the Hungaroring, much like he was in his rookie season. He started from pole and led all but eight of the race’s 69 laps en route to his first victory in the 2012 season. The win was the 19th of his career and 10th from the pole position.
23rd pole – Monza, 2012
Just as he was in his previous pole start at the Hungaroring, Lewis Hamilton was dominant at Monza as well. He led 48 of the race’s 53 laps before taking the checkered flag for the 20th time in his Formula One career and the 11th time after starting the race in front of the rest of the field.
24th pole – Marina Bay, 2012
Hamilton’s worst career finish after starting on pole came at Marina Bay in the 2012 season. He led 19 of the race’s first 22 laps, but he was unable to complete any more of the 59-lap race after that thanks to a gearbox issue. He ended up finished in 24th place in his 24th career pole position start.
25th pole – Abu Dhabi, 2012
For the second straight time after starting on pole, Hamilton failed to finish the race. He led the first 19 laps of the race at Abu Dhabi, but a fuel pressure issue forced him to retire after that, giving him just a 21st place finish at a race that looked like it would yield a victory for him.
26th pole – Interlagos, 2012
Yet again, Hamilton was unable to finish a race after starting on pole. Interlagos marked the third straight time that this was the case. He completed just 54 of the race’s 71 laps, leading 13 of them, before crashing and ending up finishing way back in 20th place. This pole was his final pole driving for McLaren.
27th pole – Shanghai, 2013
Lewis Hamilton took his first pole of the 2013 season and of his tenure driving for Mercedes at Shanghai, where he had started from the pole position multiple times before. However, he led only four of the race’s 56 laps en route to a solid but disappointing 3rd place finish.
28th pole – Silverstone, 2013
For the first time since his rookie season, Hamilton found himself starting on the pole at Silverstone, his home track. However, just like he failed to do in his rookie season, he failed to win the race. He led only seven of the race’s 52 laps before finishing in 4th place.
29th pole – Nurburgring, 2013
Hamilton’s first career pole position start at the Nurburgring did not go the way he would have liked it to go. Of the race’s 60 laps, he ended up leading none of them, and he was only able to finish in 5th place.
30th pole – Hungaroring, 2013
For the fourth time in his career, Hamilton started from the pole position at the Hungaroring. And for the third race of the four during which he started from pole at the track, he won. Once again, he dominated the race, leading 48 of 70 laps. The win was his 22nd career victory and 12th after leading the field after the lights went out.
31st pole – Spa Francorchamps, 2013
While it has been rare throughout Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One career, it happened at Spa Francorchamps in the 2013 season. He started the race from the pole position, but he failed to lead even one of the race’s 44 laps. He did, however, manage to finish on the podium in 3rd place.
32nd pole – Melbourne, 2014
Hamilton started off the 2014 season strong with yet another pole at Melbourne. However, his race did not end the way he would have liked it to. He completed just two of the race’s 57 laps thanks to an engine issue and he did not lead either of them. He finished in 19th place.
33rd pole – Sepang, 2014
Hamilton’s second pole of the 2014 season came at Sepang, and there was nothing that stood in the way of himself and the victory that day at any point in the race’s 56 laps. He led every single lap of the race for just the second time in his Formula One career. The win was his 23rd career victory and 13th from the pole position.
34th pole – Shanghai, 2014
Hamilton’s dominance from the pole position continued at Shanghai. For the second consecutive race during which he started from pole, he led every lap of the race, leading all 54 laps at Shanghai en route to his 25th career victory and 14th after starting on pole.
35th pole – Catalunya, 2014
For the third straight race during which he started from pole, Lewis Hamilton ended up winning. While he did not lead every single lap of the race like he did in his previous two pole position starts, he did manage to lead 60 of the races 66 laps in yet another dominant performance, winning his 26th career Formula One race and 15th after starting in front of the rest of the field.
36th pole – Monza, 2014
Once again, Hamilton won a race after starting on pole for the 16th time in his career. The win at Monza was the 28th overall victory of his Formula One career. His win from pole was his fourth straight victory from pole, all in the 2014 season. He led 27 of the race’s 53 laps en route to pulling off that feat.
37th pole – Marina Bay, 2014
Hamilton’s streak of winning after starting from the pole position didn’t stop at Monza. At Marina Bay, he pulled it off for the fifth straight race, and he led nearly every lap of the 60-lap race, failing to lead all but two of the race’s laps. In winning his fifth straight race after starting on pole, he won his 17th career race after starting on pole and secured his 29th career overall win.
38th pole – Sochi, 2014
Hamilton’s 31st career victory and 18th after starting from the pole position was a good one. For the fourth time in his career, he led every single one of a race’s laps, leading all 53 laps at Sochi. The win was his sixth straight victory after starting from the pole position, a streak that started toward the beginning of the 2014 season.
39th pole – Melbourne, 2015
Lewis Hamilton started off the 2015 season where he finished the 2014 season, and that was winning after starting from the pole position. He extended his streak of winning after starting on pole to seven races, and he did so by dominating at Melbourne, leading all but two of the race’s 58 laps en route to his 34th career victory and 19th after starting with the rest of the field behind him.
40th pole – Sepang, 2015
For the first time in his last eight starts from the pole position, Hamilton failed to win, ending a historic streak of seven wins in a row after starting on pole. However, he did still manage to finish in 2nd place after leading just 10 of the 56 laps contested at Sepang.
41st pole – Shanghai, 2015
Hamilton’s 35th career Formula One victory came at Shanghai, where he unsurprisingly started from the pole position once again en route to his 20th victory after doing so. He dominated the race, but he was unable to lead every single lap like he did the year before. He led 53 of the race’s 56 laps.
42nd pole – Bahrain, 2015
As was usually the case during this point during Hamilton’s career, a pole position meant a dominant race. That was, indeed, the case at Bahrain, as he won for the 21st time after starting from the pole position. He led 49 of the race’s 57 laps en route to his 36th career Formula One victory.
43rd pole – Monte Carlo, 2015
As he had been doing a lot recently in races during which he started on pole, Lewis Hamilton dominated at Monte Carlo in the 2015 season. However, leading 64 of the race’s 78 laps was not enough to get him the victory, as he ended up having to settle for 3rd place.
44th pole – Montreal, 2015
Yet another start from the pole position at Montreal yielded yet another victory for Hamilton, and a dominant one at that. En route to claiming his 37th career Formula One victory and 22nd after starting on pole, he lead all but one of the race’s 70 laps in arguably his most dominant race of those he did not lead all the way from start to finish.
45th pole – Spielberg, 2015
For the first time in his career, Hamilton started on pole at Spielberg. However, he did not stay there for long, as he only ended up leading three of the race’s 71 laps. He was still able to finish up in 2nd place, though.
46th pole – Silverstone, 2015
For the first time in his career, Hamilton won after starting from the pole position at his home track of Silverstone. In his two prior pole position starts at the track, he finished in 3rd and 4th place, respectively. But in 2015, he won after leading 31 of the race’s 52 laps, claiming his 38th career Formula One victory and 23rd after starting on pole.
47th pole – Hungaroring, 2015
Despite loads of prior dominance at the Hungaroring, Lewis Hamilton was unable to do anything after starting on pole at the track in 2016. He did not lead any of the race’s 69 laps, and he was unable to even collect a top 5 finish, as he ended up in 6th place.
48th pole – Spa Francorchamps, 2015
Hamilton got back to his winning ways after starting from the pole position with his 39th career victory at Spa Francorchamps in the 2015 season. He did not lead all of the race’s 43 laps, but he was pretty close, as he led all but one of them in the dominant effort that earned him his 24th win after starting with the rest of the field behind him.
49th pole – Monza, 2015
For the fifth time in his Formula One career, Hamilton led from the moment the lights went out until the moment he crossed the finish line in front of the rest of the field. There was no stopping him on his way to his 40th career victory at Monza, as he led all 53 of the race’s laps to claim a win for the 25th time after starting on pole.
50th pole – Melbourne, 2016
Once again at Melbourne, Hamilton started from the pole position. For the second time after starting on pole at the track, failed to lead even one of the race’s 57 laps. However, he didn’t fail to do so because of a crash like he did in 2014. He just simply failed to do so, as he still ended up finishing the race in 2nd place.
51st pole – Bahrain, 2016
Lewis Hamilton started on pole again in the 2016 season, but once again he failed to win. However, he did lead a lap, which he failed to do to open up the season at Melbourne. The problem was, he led only one lap of the race’s 57. He ended up finishing the race in 3rd place.
52nd pole – Catalunya, 2016
Once again, Hamilton started from the pole position in the 2016 season, and once again, he failed to convert that into a victory. At Catalunya, he never really had the chance to get going, as he was involved in a first-lap crash that ended his race before he could complete, much less lead, a single lap. He ended up finishing in 22nd place.
53rd pole – Montreal, 2016
For the first time in the 2016 season, Hamilton started on pole and actually won, winning from pole at Montreal for the fourth time in his career and second season in a row. He led 47 of the race’s 70 laps en route to his 26th victory after starting on pole and his 45th career Formula One win.
54th pole – Spielberg, 2016
Hamilton won at Spielberg after starting on pole despite the fact that he did not lead a large amount of the race. In fact, he led just 22 of the race’s 71 laps and was still able to start and finish in 1st place. The win was his 46th career Formula One victory and his 27th after starting in front of the rest of the field.
55th pole – Silverstone, 2016
There really was no place like home for Lewis Hamilton in 2016, as he started on pole for the second straight season at Silverstone and won after doing so for the second straight year as well. He led all but one of the race’s 52 laps en route to his 47th career Formula One victory and his 28th victory after starting from the pole position.
56th pole – Monza, 2016
Despite starting on pole for the third straight season at Monza, Hamilton was only able to lead one of the race’s 53 laps. However, he did manage to collect a solid 2nd place finish. While solid, it did not measure up to the three wins he had collected in his three previous pole position starts at the track, and it actually ended up costing him the 2016 championship.
57th pole – Sepang, 2016
Sepang looked good for Hamilton early on, as he led 33 of the race’s first 40 laps. But an engine issue forced him to retire with just 16 of the race’s 56 laps remaining, and he ended up finishing way down the order in 18th place. This retirement is his most recent retirement after starting a race from the pole position.
58th pole – Austin, 2016
After a few shaky races, Hamilton to his dominant form, as he led 53 of the Austin race’s 56 laps from the pole position en route to claiming his historic 50th career Formula One victory. The win from pole was the 29th of his career.
59th pole – Mexico City, 2016
For the first time in his Formula One career, Lewis Hamilton started from the pole position at Mexico City. He hung on for his 30th career victory after starting on pole and his 51st career overall victory after dominating the race, leading 56 of its 71 laps.
60th pole – Interlagos, 2016
Hamilton started on pole at Interlagos, and for the sixth time in his Formula One career, he did so and never looked back. He led every single one of the race’s 71 laps en route to his 52nd career victory and 31st after starting from the pole position.
61st pole – Abu Dhabi, 2016
Hamilton wrapped up the 2016 season with his fourth consecutive pole, and he translated that into his fourth consecutive win. He did so in dominant fashion, leading all but 12 of the race’s 55 laps. While it was not enough to win the championship, he still ended the 2016 season with his 53rd career win and his 32nd win after starting a race from the pole position.
62nd pole – Melbourne, 2017
Hamilton opened up the 2017 season with yet another pole at Melbourne. He led more than a few laps of the race, but he didn’t dominate. He ended up finishing in 2nd place after leading only 16 of the race’s 57 laps.
63rd pole – Shanghai, 2017
For the first time in the 2017 season, Lewis Hamilton won after starting on pole. For the seventh time in his career, he did so after leading the entire race, as he led all 56 of the Shanghai race’s laps en route to his 54th career Formula One victory and his 33rd win after starting from the pole position.
64th pole – Catalunya, 2017
For the second straight season, Hamilton started on pole at Catalunya. Unlike in 2016, he was actually able to complete a lap of the race. In fact, he completed all 66 of the race’s laps, leading 31 of them, a total that was enough to secure him his 55th career victory and 34th after starting up front.
65th pole – Montreal, 2017
For the second time in the 2017 season and eighth time in his career, Hamilton won a race from the pole position after leading the entire race. He led all 70 laps at Montreal en route to his 56th career win and 35th after starting on pole.
66th pole – Baku, 2017
Hamilton dominated early at Baku, but he ended up being intentionally run into by Sebastian Vettel. He did sort of recover from the incident, as he ended up finishing in 5th place. Still, he led 30 of the race’s 51 laps, so he could not have been happy with that result, especially after how it happened.
67th pole – Silverstone, 2017
For the third straight season, Hamilton won from pole at his home track of Silverstone. This time, he did it after a complete domination of the race, as he led all 51 of the race’s laps. It was the ninth time in his career that he had led an entire race, and it was the third time over the course of the last four races he had started from pole and won that he had done so. The win was his 57th career win and 36th after starting on pole.
68th pole – Spa Francorchamps, 2017
Hamilton’s 68th pole tied Michael Schumacher’s all-time record. He won his 58th career race and his 37th after starting on pole after a dominant performance at Spa Francorchamps. While he did not lead all of the race’s laps like he had done in three of his last four wins from pole, he still led most of them, leading 41 of the race’s 44.
69th pole – Monza, 2017
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Hamilton broke the all-time pole record of 68 poles, previously set by all-time great Michael Schumacher, by securing his 69th pole at Monza. He went on to dominate the race, leading 51 of 53 laps en route to his 59th career victory and 38th after starting on pole.
Looking back at Lewis Hamilton’s record 69 Formula One poles, it has been quite the ride for him. The 69 races he has taken pole in have featured a total of 4,126 laps. Of those 4,126 laps, Hamilton has completed 3,786 of them. Of the 3,786 laps he has completed, he has led 2,333 of them. Of his 59 career victories, 38 of them have come in the 69 races he has taken the pole position for, and his average finish is an astonishing 4.43. How many more poles will he claim before his Formula One career is over? How hard to break will he make the new pole record?
Next: No, Lewis Hamilton is not in the gold Maserati photograph
Which pole of Lewis Hamilton do you think was most impressive? And how many poles do you think he will end up with before his Formula One career is over? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it. Also be sure to follow Beyond the Flag on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.