290 replies to this topic

[George Costanza]

What would you folks say are the top pole positions you have seen over the past 30 years until now?

 

I am curious to hear some results.

 

[Disgrace]

Of the current drivers, Vettel at Suzuka 2009 is one of my favourites. He has to make two corrections in the middle of Dunlop and has another huge moment coming out of Spoon. Three huge accidents avoided and he grabs pole by 0.080.

[Sheepmachine]

Kimi raikkonen's pole in spa 2002 was epic!

[George Costanza]

Kimi raikkonen's pole in spa 2002 was epic!

 

Uh, Michael got pole that year in 2002.

[George Costanza]

Of the current drivers, Vettel at Suzuka 2009 is one of my favourites. He has to make two corrections in the middle of Dunlop and has another huge moment coming out of Spoon. Three huge accidents avoided and he grabs pole by 0.080.

 

That is indeed a good one.

 

[aramos]

Of the current drivers, Vettel at Suzuka 2009 is one of my favourites. He has to make two corrections in the middle of Dunlop and has another huge moment coming out of Spoon. Three huge accidents avoided and he grabs pole by 0.080.

 

Certainly a few impressive saves in that lap, but considering the margin of Red Bull superiority by that point in the season as a lap it was very average.

[George Costanza]

I like Fernando's 2003 pole laps (Sepang and Hungary). Beautiful clean laps....

 

And Jarno Trulli's Monaco Pole lap was out of its world in 2004.

Edited by George Costanza, 02 January 2015 - 00:04.

[Fatgadget]

Gotta  be Keke Rosberg at Silverstone ...average 150 MPH no?

[Disgrace]

Kimi raikkonen's pole in spa 2002 was epic!

 

This is amongst the most epic of Raikkonen poles. Kimi saved his last corner moment whereas Montoya didn't.

[sennafan24]

I am very keen on this one from Lewis

 

Edited by sennafan24, 02 January 2015 - 00:40.

[George Costanza]

Jim, there is no 1988 footage of Senna's lap.

 

That lap is 1990.

Edited by George Costanza, 02 January 2015 - 00:33.

[TomNokoe]

Hamilton, China 2007 - steals Nando 6 tenths and shoves them straight back in his face.

[George Costanza]

https://www.youtube....h?v=lIfxO4-oh50

 

Schumacher vs Hakkinen 2000 Japan.

 

Given the cirumstances, this is absolutely incredible.

[George Costanza]

People talk about Senna's 1988 lap, but his 1989 Pole Lap at Moanco was just as good. 1.148 seconds quicker than Alain...

[Spillage]

https://www.youtube....h?v=lIfxO4-oh50

 

Schumacher vs Hakkinen 2000 Japan.

 

Given the cirumstances, this is absolutely incredible.

That one's probably my favourite qualifying session of all time. Unbelievable.

 

Here are a couple more in which Hakkinen and Schumacher are awesome:

 

Imola 2000 - The tyres go off in the final sector, a bit like Bottas in Sochi (?) this year, but Mika still wrestles it around to a brilliant pole.

 

A1 Ring 2003 - Despite a massive mistake early in the lap, Schumacher gets it back together again and secures a fantastic pole. Despite the mistake he was more than six tenths faster than Barrichello - with a heavier fuel load!

 

I also remember Barcelona in 2004 when Schumacher was on pole by six tenths and there was a suspicion that he was on low fuel - until race day, when he ran longer than most. I remember Brundle saying with a tone of resignation 'we thought he had a light fuel load; turns out he was just stunningly fast...'

 

Another favourite of mine is Vettel at Monza 2011, where he had pole and had a glorious powerslide through Ascari the following lap. Despite that, he was going even faster, but he didn't finish the lap because he already had pole. He was about to annihilate the field though.

[STIGG]

Singapore 2010 - Alonso under great pressure from Vettel.

[paulogman]

CART Montoya Pole Position Detroit ON BOARD 1999 …:

[George Costanza]

That one's probably my favourite qualifying session of all time. Unbelievable.

 

Here are a couple more in which Hakkinen and Schumacher are awesome:

 

Imola 2000 - The tyres go off in the final sector, a bit like Bottas in Sochi (?) this year, but Mika still wrestles it around to a brilliant pole.

 

A1 Ring 2003 - Despite a massive mistake early in the lap, Schumacher gets it back together again and secures a fantastic pole. Despite the mistake he was more than six tenths faster than Barrichello - with a heavier fuel load!

 

I also remember Barcelona in 2004 when Schumacher was on pole by six tenths and there was a suspicion that he was on low fuel - until race day, when he ran longer than most. I remember Brundle saying with a tone of resignation 'we thought he had a light fuel load; turns out he was just stunningly fast...'

 

Another favourite of mine is Vettel at Monza 2011, where he had pole and had a glorious powerslide through Ascari the following lap. Despite that, he was going even faster, but he didn't finish the lap because he already had pole. He was about to annihilate the field though.

 

Yeah, Michael himself said that he messed up the 2nd sector, but still Mika was quite amazing there.

 

"But despite the Mika-topping success of it, Schumacher’s lap had not been perfect, by the German’s own admission. “I was four-tenths up at the first split time and I just destroyed it,” he muttered ruefully afterwards. Hakkinen was running out of time in the session, but he still knew that a third pole in a row was a possibility, even though the lap itself began badly. Hakkinen’s first two sectors were tidy enough, but at the first split he was 0.085s down, and by the second split he still trailed the German by 0.089s. To make matters worse, things then started to get scruffy. The Finn slid off onto the dirt on the exit of the Variante Alta at the start of the final sector, and that looked to be that, pole was surely Schumacher’s."        http://patronisef1.c...-position-laps/

 

 

 

Another fantastic pole is Fernando's Monaco 2007.

Edited by George Costanza, 02 January 2015 - 02:50.

[J2NH]

Schumacher vs Hakkinen 2000 Suzuka Japan.  The qualifying was the best I have ever seen, trading fast laps until the end.  Magic season.

 

Tight year between Shumacher and Hakkinen, those were the days of testing, no engine limits and crazy money.  Testing would start a couple of days after the race weekend, with updates daily, so there was always something to read about who was fast, who had new parts, who had new engine parts.  For me those were the glory days.

[George Costanza]

2005 Hungarian GP....  Michael Schumacher. 1 second quicker than Kimi, nearly 9 tenths faster than JPM and 1.2 seconds faster than Fernando Alonso. 

 

It only worked for one race due to tires, but I would say the F2005 would have won another title for Schumacher and Ferrari if Bridgestone was up to that.

Edited by George Costanza, 02 January 2015 - 03:30.

[dweller23]

Senna's 1993 Australian GP pole position - Macca "forgot" to fuel him up enough, but he went for it anyway and in the end succeeded.

[Richard T]

Kimi at Monaco 2005

[Jovanotti]

...and Silverstone 2004/Monza 2005. Still hard to grasp how he did it.

Although I've not watched it live at the time, Suzuka 2000 was probably the greatest quali-session ever.

[Blanchimont2002]

Jenson at Monaco, '09. A personal favourite. Rubens mentioned after that he didn't think JB's lap time was possible.

Concur with the Schumi one mentioned (A1Ring). How he recovered that I'll never know.

And the quali laps/battles between hakkinen and Schumacher in late '00 were incredible viewing.

First race & quali I went to was Spa '02. Michael was incredibly quick. Great lap

[RubalSher]

Hamilton Hungary 2013 & Hungary 2012.

Edited by RubalSher, 02 January 2015 - 08:13.

[Henri Greuter]

There is no footage of it as far as I know so there is only the story I can add to it why.

 

 

maybe not valid because it;s by now 34 years ago, too much more thatn 30 years? 

 

 

Gilles Villeneuve winning the pole position in Imola 1981.

 

Very muvh for historians by now. You have to look up in books and magazines about it. It was Gilles last ever pole, but he achieved it in what was arguebly one of the three worst chassis within F1 that season if it came to handling, that first ever turbocharged Ferrari, the 126CK. It was in the fourth race of the car.I doubt if there is any footage of the run. But knowing how bad that car was compared with it opponents.... Winning Jarama and Monaco was beyond belief, even if it took some cooperation from Alan Jones on both occasions.Third place in pooring rain without a front wing the last past of the race was also near meracilous with that car. But the lone pole for that car is even all but forgotten than that third place at Canada. But just as near miraculous achievement.

 

 

Henri

[sopa]

Obviously there are plenty.

 

But one that strikingly came to my mind is Hockenheim 2004, by Michael Schumacher.

 

A lap, which can be easily forgotten since "not much" happened during that Grand Prix weekend. It only caught my attention when I saw this many years later on YouTube.

 

[garoidb]

Nelson Piquet, Brands Hatch 1986.

[GoldenColt]

Schumi at Malaysia 1999, first qualifying since he broke his leg and boom, nearly a second faster than anyone else.

 

Lewis at Silverstone 2013.

[Ncedi]

Felipe Massa, Singapore 2008. 6 tenths faster than anyone else in the final part. That was a beauty of a lap!

[Galko877]

https://www.youtube....h?v=lIfxO4-oh50

 

Schumacher vs Hakkinen 2000 Japan.

 

Given the cirumstances, this is absolutely incredible.

 

I remember it was so surreal that some people thought it was orchestrated. (Don't know how anyone could orchestrate such a thing though.)

 

Anyway, this was pretty memorable to me as well

 

[Jackmancer]

2005 European Grand Prix (Nurburgring) - Nick Heidfeld on pole!

[krapmeister]

Greg Murphy's Lap of the Gods Bathurst 2003

Inch perfect. Record wasn't broken for 7 years...

Edited by krapmeister, 02 January 2015 - 09:58.

[pusko]

Hm, Fisichella in Force India, Spa, 2009

http://m.youtube.com...h?v=09-DoDmP6ro

[Rob]

I remember it was so surreal that some people thought it was orchestrated. (Don't know how anyone could orchestrate such a thing though.)

 

Anyway, this was pretty memorable to me as well

 

 

He blotted his copybook on Sunday though, didn't even make it to the tunnel on the first lap 

[Stallknecht]

Schumi in monaco 2012. 

[DampMongoose]

Got to be Keke.  160mph average lap at the proper Silverstone, in the damp with a slow puncture and a moustache. 

 

Although Bellof's pole in the 1983 1000km on the Nordschleife must be up there if we're counting non-F1 races also... 

 

Plus a mention for Blundell in the Nissan at Le Mans in 1990.

[Sheepmachine]

Uh, Michael got pole that year in 2002.

Oops. I had convinced myself it was Kimi.
Singapore this year was pretty good and close, but apart from that all I can think of are laps that weren't for pole. Must try harder.

[DutchQuicksilver]

Vettel's pole lap in Singapore, 2013. He was miles faster than anybode else that weekend.

 

[ollebompa]

Vettel's pole lap in Singapore, 2013. He was miles faster than anybode else that weekend.

 

I just wish he would have gone out for one more lap as the pole was his warm-up!

Edited by ollebompa, 02 January 2015 - 11:34.

[P123]

Montoya at Monaco '02. Unfortunately we saw none of it. A great 'unseen' one!

Edited by P123, 02 January 2015 - 11:48.

[Dick Dastardly]

'97 European GP at Jerez...we all know what happened when MS tried to take JV out to stop him claiming the WDC.

But in Quali, JV on Pole with MS 2nd and Frentzen 3rd.....what is unprecedented is that all 3 set an identical time !

Stewards decided as JV set his time 1st, MS 2nd & HHF 3rd, that would be the grid order....

[sopa]

J. Villeneuve on pole by 1.7 seconds in Australia 1997. He was on softer tyres as opposed to harder compound tyres of others. I have been wondering, how much was it the tyres, and how much his driving?

[sopa]

Also I think there is something special about poles in drying conditions in the final seconds. Not only does the lap need to be great, but needs to be timed absolutely perfectly and you need to feel the changing conditions very well to get the best out of the car and tyres at that moment. Often you can get underdog pole sitters in such kind of situation, who normally would not have a chance at all.

 

Some that come to my mind:

 

1994, Barrichello, Jordan, Belgium

1998, Fisichella, Benetton, Austria

1999, Frentzen, Jordan, Europe

2001, Montoya, Williams, Belgium

[Francesc]

Senna at Adelaide 85.

[Risil]

Plus a mention for Blundell in the Nissan at Le Mans in 1990.

 

Yes!

 

[midgrid]

Nico Hülkenberg, Brazil 2010. And it wasn't just good timing on a drying session, as his second-best lap was also good enough for pole.

[PayasYouRace]

Got to be Keke.  160mph average lap at the proper Silverstone, in the damp with a slow puncture and a moustache.

 

As was my understanding, a moustache gave you at least 20 extra hp back in the 1980s.

[Risil]

As was my understanding, a moustache gave you at least 20 extra hp back in the 1980s.

 

NASCAR behind the technological curve again then

 

[Spaceframe]

As was my understanding, a moustache gave you at least 20 extra hp back in the 1980s.

And a fag before driving bettered the lap by three tenths....

 

Anyway, if staying inside the last 30 years, the 1984-86 years beat anything: Those turbocharged monsters gave 1000+ hp (in 1986 1400+ hp was reportedly produced by severely boosted BMW and Renault engines) for qualifying. Honda was close as well.

 

Great pole laps during those years by the likes of Piquet, Senna, Mansell and Fabi (Austria and Italy 1986).

 

But the most spectacular was probably Keke's Silverstone lap in 1985!