Editing Pole Position (section)

==Gameplay==
[[Image:Pole0000.png|thumbnail|left|The player's car approaching a curve]]

The player assumes the role of a [[Formula One]] [[race car]] driver who is attempting to compete in a race at the [[Fuji Speedway]]. The first objective is to complete a one-lap [[time trial]] within a specified time limit in order to qualify for the race. A successful qualification awards bonus points and sets the player's starting position among seven computer-controlled cars, based on the lap time. The actual race consists of a set number of laps, with a set amount of time given at the start and more granted after each lap. 

During both the time trial and the race, the player can briefly lose control of the car by running through puddles on the track, colliding with other cars, or driving around curves too quickly. Running off the track and into the grass will slow the car down. Billboards placed next to the track will destroy the car if it collides with one of them, resulting in a brief delay as a new car is put into play. 

The game ends when the player either runs out of time during the qualifying lap or the race, or completes the final lap. The player earns bonus points for every car passed, and an additional bonus for any time left on the clock.

''Pole Position'' was the first racing video game to feature a track based on a real racing circuit. It was also the first game to feature a qualifying lap, requiring the player to finish a time trial before they can compete in [[Formula One|Grand Prix]] races. Once the player has qualified, they must complete the race in the time allowed, avoiding collisions with CPU-controlled opponents and billboards along the sides of the track. The game's North American distributor, Atari, publicized the game for its "unbelievable driving realism" in providing a [[Formula 1]] experience behind a [[racing wheel]]. The game's graphics featured full-colour landscapes with [[Sprite (computer graphics)#Move to 3D|scaling sprites]], including race cars and other signs, and a [[2.5D|pseudo-3D]], [[Third-person (video games)|third-person]], rear perspective view of the track, with its vanishing point swaying side to side as the player approaches corners, accurately simulating forward movement into the distance.<ref>Bernard Perron & Mark J. P. Wolf (2008), ''Video game theory reader two'', p. 157, [[Taylor & Francis]], {{ISBN|0-415-96282-X}}</ref> While earlier three-dimensional arcade driving games emphasized staying on the road while avoiding crashes, ''Pole Position'' gives a higher reward for passing rival cars and finishing among the leaders.<ref name="award"/>