How many pole positions has Charles Leclerc achieved in Formula 1?

Charles Leclerc has achieved 23 pole positions in his Formula 1 career, which places him close to the top 10 on the all-time list. The man from Monaco needs just seven pole positions to move into the top ten. But Leclerc's problem is Ferrari have a quick qualifying car, only to struggle with race pace.

The first pole position

Leclerc's run of pole positions all started at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix. At the same event, Leclerc achieved his first podium result and first fastest lap. In just his second qualifying session for Ferrari, Leclerc proved his worth. Leclerc got the better of his four-time World Champion teammate Sebastian Vettel. He might have lost the lead early but worked his way back to the front. The young driver then took control of the race, only to experience engine problems later on. The win fell through his fingers, but the podium was saved by a late safety car. 

Leclerc added six more pole positions to the list in 2019 but ran dry during Ferrari's turbulent 2020 season. Leclerc managed to get a pole position in his home city at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, but he didn't start the race due to a gearbox problem. That was caused by a crash in qualifying. Leclerc has since proven that Ferrari have a brilliant qualifying car following the 2022 regulation changes. He became the first Las Vegas pole sitter since the 1980s. 

Converting pole to win

Only Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have more pole positions than Leclerc. In fact, two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso has fewer pole positions than Leclerc. But Leclerc has only won five Grands Prix. Nearly 83% of the time, Leclerc has failed to win from pole. However, a lot of this is because Ferrari struggles in race pace compared to Red Bull. 

Record list for pole positions in F1

While Verstappen is already in the top five in the rankings for the number of victories with 53 victories, Verstappen is in 8th place when it comes to pole positions.

With the RB19 at his disposal in 2023, there is a good chance that Verstappen can beat a lot of names on the list. Ahead of him are Nigel Mansell (32), Alain Prost (33), Jim Clark (33), Sebastian Vettel (57), Ayrton Senna (65), Michael Schumacher ( 68) and Lewis Hamilton (103). Leclerc sits in 14th place on the all-time list.