Qualifying is an art unto itself in Formula One, with the very best — like Senna, Schumacher, Clark, Hamilton and Vettel — mastering the ability to turn in a hot lap at the precise moment when track and car conditions are optimal. In the past few decades, as chicanes and tighter circuits have made overtaking increasingly difficult and as “knock out” qualifying rounds were introduced to F1, the importance of pole position has correspondingly been heightened.
All drivers with 5 or career more poles, plus current drivers, through 2017.
| Poles | Driver | Nat. |
| 72 |  Lewis Hamilton |
GBR |
| 68 |  Michael Schumacher * |
GER |
| 65 |  Ayrton Senna |
BRA | 50 | Sebastian Vettel |
GER |
| 33 | Jim Clark |
GBR |
| 33 |  Alain Prost |
FRA |
| 32 | Nigel Mansell |
GBR |
| 30 |  Nico Rosberg |
GER |
| 29 |  Juan Manuel Fangio |
ARG |
| 26 |  Mika Häkkinen |
FIN |
| 24 |  Niki Lauda |
AUS |
| 24 |  Nelson Piquet |
BRA |
| 22 |  Fernando Alonso |
SPA |
| 20 | Damon Hill |
GBR |
| 18 |  Mario Andretti |
USA |
| 18 | Rene Arnoux |
FRA |
| 17 | Kimi Räikkönen |
FIN |
| 17 | Jackie Stewart |
GBR |
| 16 | Felipe Massa |
BRA |
| 16 | Stirling Moss |
GBR |
| 14 |  Alberto Ascari |
ITA |
| 14 | James Hunt |
GBR |
| 14 |  Ronnie Peterson |
SUE |
| 14 | Rubens Barrichello |
BRA |
| 13 |  Jack Brabham |
AUS |
| 13 | Graham Hill |
GBR |
| 13 |  Jacky Ickx |
BEL |
| 13 |  Jacques Villeneuve |
CAN |
| 13 |  Juan Pablo Montoya |
COL |
| 13 | Mark Webber |
AUS |
| 12 | Gerhard Berger |
AUT |
| 12 | David Coulthard |
GBR |
| 10 | Jochen Rindt |
AUT |
| 8 | Jenson Button |
GBR |
| 8 | Ricardo Patrese |
ITA |
| 8 | John Surtees |
GBR |
| 7 | Jacques Laffite |
FRA |
| 6 | Emerson Fittipaldi |
BRA |
| 6 | Phil Hill |
USA |
| 6 | Jean Pierre Jabouille |
FRA |
| 6 | Alan Jones |
AUS |
| 6 | Carlos Reutemann |
ARG |
| 6 | Ralf Schumacher |
GER |
| 5 |  Chris Amon |
NZL |
| 5 |  Giuseppe Farina |
ITA |
| 5 |  Clay Regazzoni |
SUI |
| 5 | Keke Rosberg |
FIN |
| 5 | Patrick Tambay |
FRA |
| 1 |  Max Verstappen |
NLD |
| 1 | Daniel Ricciardo |
AUS |
| * Michael Schumacher really should have 69 pole positions, but his 2013 Monaco pole was forfeited due to a grid penalty from the previous Spanish GP. | ||