Lewis Hamilton became the first Formula 1 driver to reach 100 pole positions at the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix.
Hamilton achieved the milestone by qualifying fastest at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 8 May 2021. It was his 100th pole in a Formula One World Championship event, extending his record beyond Michael Schumacher’s previous total of 68.
Hamilton’s qualifying record was built across several eras of car design and tyre technology. His poles came with McLaren and Mercedes, and many were secured during Mercedes’ highly successful hybrid-engine period. The milestone is separate from race wins: pole position means starting first after qualifying, while a Grand Prix victory is recorded only after the race.
The 2021 Spanish Grand Prix was also notable because Hamilton converted pole into a second-place finish behind Max Verstappen. Hamilton later became the first driver to surpass 100 Grand Prix victories as well as 100 poles.