Sky Sports UK analyst believes Charles Leclerc is “the strongest driver on a single lap”. An analyst for Sky Sports UK has confirmed who the fastest driver in F1 qualifying is.

The fastest driver in F1 qualifying belongs to Scuderia Ferrari. It is a source of pride for the Maranello-based team, which undoubtedly possesses exceptional skills on Saturdays, providing a better starting position for the race. Statistics confirm it: with 23 career pole positions (18.70% of the total qualifying sessions raced), Charles Leclerc is the fastest driver in Formula 1 qualifying.

It has been a recurring theme for Ferrari in recent years: starting at the front but not translating the initial advantage into a victory. Nevertheless, performing well on Saturdays is certainly no trivial feat, and not all drivers on the grid are capable of it consistently. Even Fernando Alonso, widely considered one of the strongest on the grid, has only achieved “just” 22 career pole positions, accounting for 5.82% of his total qualifying sessions.

Among active drivers, the pole position king is Lewis Hamilton: the Englishman has secured a remarkable 104, with a percentage of 31.33%. However, the years of Mercedes dominance should be taken into account, which certainly doesn’t diminish the statistic but helps provide the right perspective on the data. On the other hand, Max Verstappen can boast 32 pole positions, making up 17.30% of his Saturday appearances.

“I’ve said it many times, and some people have disagreed with me, but I consider Charles Leclerc the strongest driver on a single lap,” explained Karun Chandhok on Sky F1, analyzing Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari. Indeed, looking at Charles Leclerc’s statistics, we find an impressive 23 pole positions, with the second-highest percentage among active drivers (18.70%).

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Starting from 2025, Ferrari will have at its disposal the two best qualifiers in the Circus. With the duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and a high-performing car, monopolizing the front row on Saturdays could become an extremely important constant in the fight for the Formula One Championship.

Source: f1ingenerale