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Pole position
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Pole position
In a motorsports race, pole position is the best position on the track at the start and thus, by definition, the participant in pole position is starting it from first place.
As having pole position is extremely advantageous in most forms of motorsport, the pole position is usually earned by a driver via another competitive method. Most often, this is by having the best qualifying times in timed trials before the race that determine the order of the starting grid, though it can also be awarded in other circumstances (such as current position in the series' championship, the results of a previous race, the drawing of lots, or a reversed grid). The driver in pole position is referred to as the pole-sitter.
The term has its origins in horse racing, in which the fastest qualifying horse would be placed on the inside part of the course, next to the pole marking the start line for the race.
Grid position is typically determined by a qualifying session before the race, where race participants compete to ascend to the number 1 grid slot, the driver, pilot, or rider having recorded fastest qualification time awarded the advantage of the number 1 grid slot (i.e., the pole-position) ahead of all other vehicles for the start of the race. Historically, the fastest qualifier was not necessarily the designated pole-sitter. Different sanctioning bodies in motor sport employ different qualifying formats in designating who starts from pole position. Often, a starting grid is derived either by current rank in the championship, or based on finishing position of a previous race. In particularly important events where multiple qualification attempts spanned several days, the qualification result was segmented or staggered, by which session a driver qualified, or by which particular day a driver set his qualification time, only drivers having qualified on the initial day were eligible for pole position.
Some race promoters or sanctioning bodies invert the starting grid, or part of the starting grid, for the purpose of entertainment value (e.g., pack racing; to artificially stimulate passing).[failed verification] An example of a series that does this is the British Touring Car Championship, which reverses the grid for each third race based on a lottery determining how many positions are reversed.
Originally in Grand Prix racing, grid positions, including pole, were determined by lottery among the drivers. Before the inception of the Formula One World Championship, the first instance of grid positions being determined by qualifying times was at the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix. Since then, the FIA have introduced many different qualifying systems to Formula One. From the long-standing system of one session on each of Friday and Saturday, to the current knockout-style qualifying leaving 10 out of 20 drivers to battle for pole, there have been many changes to qualifying systems. Between 1996 and 2006, the FIA made 6 significant changes to the qualifying procedure, each with the intention of making the battle for pole more interesting to viewers at home.
Traditionally, pole was always occupied by the fastest driver due to low-fuel qualifying. The race-fuel qualifying era between 2003 and 2009 briefly changed this. Despite the changing formats, drivers attempting pole were required between 2003 and 2009 to do qualifying laps with the fuel they would use to start the race the next day. An underfuelled slower car and driver would therefore be able to take pole ahead of a better but heavier-fueled car. In this situation, pole was not always advantageous to have in the race as the under-fueled driver would have to pit for more fuel before their rivals. With the race refueling ban introduced, low-fuel qualifying returned and these strategy decisions are no longer in play.
Also, when Formula One enforced the 107% rule between 1996 and 2002, a driver's pole time might affect slower cars also posting times for qualifying, as cars that could not get within 107% of the pole time were not allowed start the race unless the stewards decided otherwise. Since the reintroduction of the rule in 2011, this only applies to the quickest time in the first session of qualifying (Q1) and not the pole time.
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Pole position
In a motorsports race, pole position is the best position on the track at the start and thus, by definition, the participant in pole position is starting it from first place.
As having pole position is extremely advantageous in most forms of motorsport, the pole position is usually earned by a driver via another competitive method. Most often, this is by having the best qualifying times in timed trials before the race that determine the order of the starting grid, though it can also be awarded in other circumstances (such as current position in the series' championship, the results of a previous race, the drawing of lots, or a reversed grid). The driver in pole position is referred to as the pole-sitter.
The term has its origins in horse racing, in which the fastest qualifying horse would be placed on the inside part of the course, next to the pole marking the start line for the race.
Grid position is typically determined by a qualifying session before the race, where race participants compete to ascend to the number 1 grid slot, the driver, pilot, or rider having recorded fastest qualification time awarded the advantage of the number 1 grid slot (i.e., the pole-position) ahead of all other vehicles for the start of the race. Historically, the fastest qualifier was not necessarily the designated pole-sitter. Different sanctioning bodies in motor sport employ different qualifying formats in designating who starts from pole position. Often, a starting grid is derived either by current rank in the championship, or based on finishing position of a previous race. In particularly important events where multiple qualification attempts spanned several days, the qualification result was segmented or staggered, by which session a driver qualified, or by which particular day a driver set his qualification time, only drivers having qualified on the initial day were eligible for pole position.
Some race promoters or sanctioning bodies invert the starting grid, or part of the starting grid, for the purpose of entertainment value (e.g., pack racing; to artificially stimulate passing).[failed verification] An example of a series that does this is the British Touring Car Championship, which reverses the grid for each third race based on a lottery determining how many positions are reversed.
Originally in Grand Prix racing, grid positions, including pole, were determined by lottery among the drivers. Before the inception of the Formula One World Championship, the first instance of grid positions being determined by qualifying times was at the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix. Since then, the FIA have introduced many different qualifying systems to Formula One. From the long-standing system of one session on each of Friday and Saturday, to the current knockout-style qualifying leaving 10 out of 20 drivers to battle for pole, there have been many changes to qualifying systems. Between 1996 and 2006, the FIA made 6 significant changes to the qualifying procedure, each with the intention of making the battle for pole more interesting to viewers at home.
Traditionally, pole was always occupied by the fastest driver due to low-fuel qualifying. The race-fuel qualifying era between 2003 and 2009 briefly changed this. Despite the changing formats, drivers attempting pole were required between 2003 and 2009 to do qualifying laps with the fuel they would use to start the race the next day. An underfuelled slower car and driver would therefore be able to take pole ahead of a better but heavier-fueled car. In this situation, pole was not always advantageous to have in the race as the under-fueled driver would have to pit for more fuel before their rivals. With the race refueling ban introduced, low-fuel qualifying returned and these strategy decisions are no longer in play.
Also, when Formula One enforced the 107% rule between 1996 and 2002, a driver's pole time might affect slower cars also posting times for qualifying, as cars that could not get within 107% of the pole time were not allowed start the race unless the stewards decided otherwise. Since the reintroduction of the rule in 2011, this only applies to the quickest time in the first session of qualifying (Q1) and not the pole time.
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