The term "pole position" comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole.

The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsport, a driver has pole position when he or she starts a race at the front of the grid. Grid position is usually determined by a separate qualifying session where drivers try to set the fastest lap, or based on their position in the previous race(s).

Different motorsport series use different formats for determining which driver has the opportunity to start from pole position.