Why Hamilton is not F1's greatest ever qualifier
Lewis Hamilton made Formula 1's all-time pole record his own last weekend. There are other contenders for the 'greatest ever qualifier' honour, though
The statistics are unequivocal: Lewis Hamilton 69, Michael Schumacher 68, Ayrton Senna 65. Nobody has more F1 pole positions than Hamilton, therefore he is, by statistical definition, F1's greatest qualifier.
But things are never that simple. Phenomenal as Hamilton's achievement is - and make no mistake, it is quite incredible - the numbers justify greater scrutiny. Weight of numbers is just one factor, albeit a significant one, so how can we dig a little deeper into the meaning behind them?
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