The best pole-to-win ratios in Formula 1 history as five drivers achieve 100% records

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Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most pole positions in Formula 1 history, standing at 104. However, when it comes to converting them to wins, 14 drivers have better records than him.

Hamilton is miles away from the next driver, fellow seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, for poles, with the German sitting on 68. Yet Schumacher only narrowly has a better pole-to-win ratio with 58.82% to the Brit’s 58.65%.

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The current Ferrari star has converted 61 of his poles to victory, but he has not had another pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. He is known for his blistering pace over one lap throughout his career, but that has taken a nosedive in 2025.

The 40-year-old struggled to find his feet at Ferrari, with Q1 exits becoming regular towards the end of the season. Ted Kravitz says Hamilton needs to address his qualifying struggles in 2026.

Compared to other drivers, he has also struggled to convert his poles into wins, with 14 drivers having better ratios across their careers. But who are they, and who is at the top?

Pastor Maldonado among five drivers with a 100% pole-to-win ratio in Formula 1

Five drivers across F1 history have a 100% pole-to-win ratio. In fact, they all achieved just one pole position and claimed the win the next day.

The latest driver to achieve that feat was Pastor Maldonado, who won his first and only F1 race at the 2012 Spanish GP. Ironically, it was Hamilton who actually went fastest in qualifying, but he was disqualified from the session.

Alongside Maldonado, Thierry Boutsen, Jo Bonnier, Pat Flaherty and Bill Vukovich also achieved a 100% pole-to-win ratio in their F1 careers. Second on the list is Max Verstappen, who has won an incredible 37 out of his 48 poles, making a ratio of 77.08%.

Four drivers are tied with 66.67%, with Ferrari stars Jody Scheckter and Tony Brooks achieving two wins from pole, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Emerson Fittipaldi have four each. Ferrari’s first champion, Alberto Ascari, is next with 64.29%, with Fernando Alonso just behind on 63.64%.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Which drivers have the worst pole-to-win ratios in F1?

On the other end of the spectrum, Rene Arnoux has the unfortunate title of the worst pole-to-win ratio in F1 history. While he did prove his class during qualifying, he struggled to convert it into victory, with two wins from pole out of 18.

Ralf Schumacher, Jean-Pierre Jabouille and David Coulthard all have a pole-to-win ratio of 16.67% across their careers.

Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc has the third-worst pole-to-win rate in F1 with just 18.52%. The Monegasque driver is one of the best over one lap on the grid today, with 27 poles to his name, but he has only won five times from that position.

His streak worsened in 2025 as he took a shocking pole position in Budapest. But a loss of pace and a poor strategy call from Ferrari left Leclerc crawling home in fourth.