{"id":43381,"date":"2025-08-04T18:06:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T18:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/43381\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T18:06:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T18:06:09","slug":"the-f1-drivers-with-the-lowest-pole-to-win-ratio-as-damon-hill-questions-unwanted-charles-leclerc-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/43381\/","title":{"rendered":"The F1 drivers with the lowest pole-to-win ratio as Damon Hill questions unwanted Charles Leclerc ‘record’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Charles Leclerc recorded the 27th pole position of his career at the Hungarian Grand Prix and Ferrari\u2019s first of 2025. But the Monegasque driver fell off the podium in the race.<\/p>\n

Leclerc<\/a> produced a shock result in qualifying as he beat both McLarens to pole, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topping every session up to that point. The Ferrari<\/a> star led the majority of the Hungarian Grand Prix<\/a> as he utilised a two-stop strategy.<\/p>\n

However, the 27-year-old came under pressure from the McLarens in the final stint when he suddenly lost all pace. Norris stayed out in front on a one-stop strategy, and Leclerc could not find the performance to catch up as he lost positions to Piastri and George Russell.<\/p>\n

RANKDRIVERTEAMPOINTS1Lando NorrisMcLaren252Oscar PiastriMcLaren183George RussellMercedes154Charles LeclercFerrari125Fernando AlonsoAston Martin106Gabriel BortoletoSauber87Lance StrollAston Martin68Liam LawsonRacing Bulls49Max VerstappenRed Bull210Kimi AntonelliMercedes1<\/p>\n

He was handed a five-second time penalty for moving erratically under braking as Russell passed for P3. But that did not affect his result as Leclerc had to settle for fourth, with the wait for his and Ferrari\u2019s first win of 2025 still going on.<\/p>\n

Leclerc was furious with his team over the radio as he warned them that he would fall off the podium if they ignored his calls. It is suspected that his SF-25 had chassis damage, which explained the sudden drop in performance.<\/p>\n

Anthony Davidson agreed with Russell about Leclerc\u2019s car<\/a>, as he felt the Ferrari was \u2018close to being illegal\u2019, suspecting that they were running lower engine modes to combat plank wear. It is what caused Lewis Hamilton to be disqualified from the Chinese GP earlier in the year.<\/p>\n

\"DamonPhoto by Vince Mignott\/MB Media\/Getty ImagesDamon Hill questions Charles Leclerc \u2018record\u2019 after failing to win from pole in Hungary, but four drivers have a lower ratio<\/p>\n

No action was taken against Leclerc for his car, but it still leaves him bitterly frustrated. He had a perfect opportunity to capitalise on his pole position and give Ferrari a win in 2025, only to fall back in the closing stages.<\/p>\n

That has been a similar story for the Monegasque driver in F1, who has consistently shown that he is one of the strongest drivers on Saturday. However, he has struggled to convert that pace into victory, with just five wins from 27 poles across his career.<\/p>\n

Stunned by the numbers, 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill<\/a> wondered if it was a \u2018record\u2019 for Leclerc. He wrote on his Instagram story<\/a>: \u201c27 poles! And only 5 wins? That has to be a record?\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Leclerc does have a low pole-to-win ratio, sitting at 18.52%. However, he has the third-worst in F1 history, with four drivers having a lower percentage of wins from pole.<\/p>\n

Pos.DriverRatio1Rene Arnoux11.112R Schumacher, Jabouille, Coulthard16.673Charles Leclerc18.52F1 drivers with the lowest pole-to-win ratio<\/p>\n

Ralf Schumacher<\/a> and Jean-Pierre Jabouille have the same record, with one win from six pole positions, giving them a 16.67% conversion rate. David Coulthard<\/a> joins them with that ratio, having achieved two wins from 12 poles.<\/p>\n

But the driver with the misfortune of having the lowest pole-to-win ratio in F1 history is former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux with 11.11%. While the Frenchman showed his speed with 18 pole positions in his career, he only converted two of them to victory.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc\u2019s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend<\/a><\/p>\n

\"FerrariPhoto by Jayce Illman\/Getty ImagesFerrari are holding Charles Leclerc back from reaching his full potential<\/p>\n

There are some positives that Ferrari can take from the Hungarian GP, in that qualifying showed that the SF-25 could challenge the McLarens in the right window. But executing a strong race and strategy remains a problem.<\/p>\n

Lewis Hamilton has been calling for changes to Ferrari\u2019s operations<\/a> as he struggles to adapt in Maranello. Given his frustrations during the race, Leclerc would perhaps be open to a change in direction from the team.<\/p>\n

Position Constructors’ Standings PointsPts 1 559 2 260 3 236 4 194 5 70 6 52 7 51 8 45 9 35 10 20 <\/p>\n

Ferrari are holding Leclerc back from reaching his full potential<\/a> as he continues to struggle to extract the best from the car from pole. The Hungarian GP was a missed opportunity from the team as McLaren secured their fourth 1-2 in a row.<\/p>\n

Hamilton has given Leclerc credit for his 2025 performances<\/a>, which he richly deserves, with five podiums to his name heading into the summer break. But he can be capable of much more, and Ferrari have significant work to do to get him there.<\/p>\n