Lewis Hamilton extends historic pole span to 19 years in Mexico City

What a machine. Lewis Hamilton just keeps rewriting the record books, charging to pole position at the Mexico City Grand Prix to secure the 105th pole of his extraordinary career. It is a staggering milestone that stretches his own record for the longest pole position career span in Formula 1, coming 19 years, 4 months, and 22 days after he claimed his very first top spot.

When Hamilton first hammered the McLaren MP4-22 across the chicane in Montreal back in 2007, he grabbed his maiden pole at just the sixth time of asking. His absolute peak came in 2016 with 12 poles, alongside double-digit hauls in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020. While the ground effect era proved leaner with just a single pole in Hungary in 2023, and a frustrating 2025 campaign followed with Ferrari, improved competitiveness in 2026 has brought him back to the front.

Looking back across the sport's history, the longevity required to sustain a pole-winning career is mind-blowing. Sir Jack Brabham's span reached 10 years, 9 months, and 1 day, stretching from his 1959 pole in Britain with Aintree Racecourse to 1964, wait—correction, to 1970 at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama. Qualifying maestro Sebastian Vettel managed 11 years and 29 days between his stunning rain-drenched Monza pole for Toro Rosso in 2008 and his final one-lap wonder with Ferrari at Suzuka in 2019.

Giancarlo Fisichella spanned 11 years, 1 month, and 4 days, taking surprise poles for Benetton at the Red Bull Ring in 1998 and later for Force India at Spa-Francorchamps in 2009. Riccardo Patrese covered 11 years, 5 months, and 1 day, edging Alan Jones by just nine-thousandths of a second at Long Beach in 1981 before taking his final pole with Williams in Hungary in 1992. Michael Schumacher's official span hit 12 years, 2 months, and 1 day between Monaco in 1994 and France in 2006, though he famously set the fastest time in Monaco six years later for Mercedes before a grid penalty intervened.

Alain Prost bridged 12 years, 2 months, and 22 days from his Renault pole at Hockenheim in 1981 to his final one with Williams at Suzuka in 1993. All-round icon Mario Andretti spanned 13 years, 11 months, and 6 days, taking his debut pole at Watkins Glen in 1968 and an emotional final pole for Ferrari at Monza in 1982, just 0.035 seconds ahead of Nelson Piquet. Rubens Barrichello covered 15 years, 1 month, and 20 days from his wet-weather Jordan pole at Spa in 1994 to his home pole for Brawn at Interlagos in 2009. Kimi Räikkönen matched a 15-year, 2-month, 4-day gap from his 2003 Nurburgring pole for McLaren to his final Saturday top spot with Ferrari in Italy in 2018.

None of them, however, match the sheer staying power of Hamilton at the absolute summit of motorsport.