News Summary
- Max Verstappen reached 50 career Formula 1 pole positions after topping qualifying for the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix.
- Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Sebastian Vettel have achieved more poles in F1 history.
- Verstappen remains fifth in the all-time ranking, seven poles behind Vettel, who finished his career with 57.
Max Verstappen joined one of Formula 1’s most exclusive statistical groups on Saturday, October 10, by claiming his 50th career Grand Prix pole position during qualifying for the Singapore GP at Marina Bay.
The Red Bull driver set a 1:31.373 to beat Charles Leclerc by just 0.054s, with Lewis Hamilton third, 0.123s behind. The result gave Verstappen his second consecutive Grand Prix pole following Sepang and took him to a milestone previously achieved by only four drivers in the championship’s history.
Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Sebastian Vettel are the only other drivers to have reached 50 poles, placing Verstappen fifth in the all-time standings and within seven of Vettel’s career total.
Only five drivers have reached 50 F1 poles
Hamilton remains the outright record holder with 104 poles, having surpassed Schumacher’s previous record of 68 during the 2017 season.
Schumacher occupies second place, ahead of Senna, whose 65 poles established a benchmark that stood for more than a decade.
Vettel is fourth with 57, followed by Verstappen, who has now reached 50 with Red Bull.
Most Formula 1 pole positions — all-time ranking
| Rank | Driver | Nationality | Pole positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Great Britain | 104 |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | Germany | 68 |
| 3 | Ayrton Senna | Brazil | 65 |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | Germany | 57 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Netherlands | 50 |
The figures include pole positions for Formula 1 Grands Prix, rather than separate sprint qualifying results.
Verstappen has now moved 17 poles clear of Alain Prost and Jim Clark, who each recorded 33, according to the conventional historical statistics used for the championship.
Singapore milestone follows Red Bull’s recovery
Verstappen’s 50th pole came during a weekend in which Red Bull demonstrated a significant improvement in competitiveness.
The Dutchman had already taken pole for Friday’s sprint qualifying, before winning Saturday’s rain-affected sprint ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc.
The sprint was delayed by heavy rain and featured several incidents, including George Russell’s early crash and the final-lap collision between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported in its complete Singapore sprint coverage, the victory was Verstappen’s first at Marina Bay, a circuit where he had previously struggled to convert his competitiveness into wins.
The four-time world champion then returned to the track for Grand Prix qualifying and produced the fastest lap of Q3, beating both Ferrari drivers.
The complete Singapore qualifying classification shows Verstappen ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli fourth.
Vettel’s 57 poles become Verstappen’s next historical target
Verstappen remains fifth in the ranking, with Vettel the next driver ahead of him.
The German secured 57 poles during his Formula 1 career, including his dominant years with Red Bull and his later spell at Ferrari.
To equal Vettel, Verstappen needs seven more Grand Prix poles. Eight would move him into fourth place outright.
Senna’s total of 65 is a further eight beyond Vettel, while Schumacher and Hamilton remain considerably further ahead.
Verstappen’s latest achievement also extends his record as the most successful Dutch qualifier in Formula 1 history, with all 50 poles coming for Red Bull.
The updated Singapore GP schedule, including Sunday’s race time is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO, which follows the latest Formula 1 news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.
