Top 10 youngest drivers to race in F1

#10 – Daniil Kvyat – Australia 2014 – 19 years, 10 months and 18 days

GP3 champion, Daniil Kvyat made the leap to F1 with Toro Rosso (as it was then named) in 2014. In his debut, he reached Q3 and scored points, delivering a solid enough season to earn a promotion to Red Bull when Sebastian Vettel surprised the paddock by joining Ferrari.

However, Daniil Kvyat’s adventure with Red Bull was short-lived. After an encouraging first season alongside Daniel Ricciardo, a difficult start in 2016, notably marked by a collision with Sebastian Vettel on Russian soil, led Red Bull to replace him with Max Verstappen after only four races.

From then on, it was difficult for the Russian to recover. Toro Rosso dismissed him at the end of 2017 amidst a downward spiral, before quickly recalling him for two additional seasons. The highlight of his return was a surprise podium during a rain-affected 2019 German Grand Prix.

#9 – Esteban Tuero – Australia 1998 – 19 years, 10 months and 14 days

The contract of Esteban Tuero with Minardi for the 1998 season sparked a lot of discussions in the F1 paddock, as the young Argentine did not meet all the requirements for the FIA Super License. Despite this, the organization eventually allowed him to compete in the season.

It was a difficult year for the Buenos Aires native, who often found himself at the back of the grid. He had the opportunity to participate in a home Grand Prix but finished only four of the 16 races of the season. At the end of the year, Esteban Tuero informed Minardi that he was leaving the discipline.

#8 – Fernando Alonso – Australia 2001 – 19 years, 7 months and 3 days

Fernando Alonso was one of the three future big names to debut in F1 in 2001, alongside Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya. Like Esteban Tuero, the Spaniard began with Minardi, a back-of-the-grid team, but still managed to demonstrate his potential throughout the season.

The following year, Fernando Alonso took on a role as a reserve driver at Renault (his manager Flavio Briatore leading the team), before returning full-time in 2003. There, he secured his first pole positions, Grand Prix victories, and laid the groundwork for his double championship title in 2005 and 2006 with the French manufacturer.

Since then, Fernando Alonso has experienced periods with varying levels of success with McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine, and more recently, Aston Martin. Now 43 years old, the oldest driver on the current F1 grid continues to aim for an elusive third world title.

#7 – Ricardo Rodriguez – Italy 1961 – 19 years, 6 months, and 27 days

Ricardo Rodriguez was a talented cyclist and motorcyclist in his youth, and he transferred these skills brilliantly when he started driving cars. He became the youngest person to stand on the podium of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the youngest to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix in a short time.

During a one-off participation with Ferrari at Monza in 1961, he qualified in a brilliant second place. He returned for several Grand Prix the following year but was involved in a fatal accident at the age of just 20, during testing for a non-championship race at home in Mexico, driving a Lotus entered by Rob Walker.

The tragic fate of Ricardo also affected his brother Pedro, who found success in sports prototypes and F1, but lost his life during an Interserie event at the Norisring in 1971. The Mexico City circuit now bears their name: the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

#6 – Mike Thackwell – Canada 1980 – 19 years, 5 months and 29 days

Mike Thackwell broke the record for the youngest F1 driver held by Ricardo Rodriguez by starting the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix with Tyrrell, while continuing his commitments in European Formula 2. Earlier that season, he had failed to qualify with Arrows in the Netherlands.

He made another Grand Prix appearance with RAM in 1984, the same year the New Zealander won the Formula 2 title. Subsequently, he explored various categories of single-seaters and endurance racing, winning prestigious races like the Grand Prix de Pau and the 1000 km of Nürburgring.

#5 – Lando Norris – Australia 2019 – 19 years, 4 months, and 4 days

Lando Norris was recruited by McLaren while he was progressing through the single-seater categories. In 2018, he held the role of test and reserve driver for the team, participating in numerous Friday free practice sessions, before being promoted to a full-time position for the 2019 season, alongside Carlos Sainz, who was also new to the team.

After a strong points haul during his rookie season, the Brit secured his first podium in the 2020 season opener and continued to rack up impressive results in 2021, 2022, and 2023. It was during this period that a revitalized and reorganized McLaren began to establish itself as a true leading force.

In 2024, Lando Norris achieved an emotional first victory at the Miami Grand Prix, adding three more wins during the season as McLaren became increasingly competitive. These results helped offer the Woking team its first constructors’ title since 1998.

#4 – Jaime Alguersuari – Hungary 2009 – 19 years, 4 months and 3 days

Jaime Alguersuari is another talent from the Red Bull junior program involved in an in-season swap. He was promoted to Toro Rosso, replacing Sébastien Bourdais during the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, while simultaneously participating in the Formula Renault 3.5 – a championship he completed despite his new responsibilities in F1.

Jaime Alguersuari continued in F1 during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, scoring over 30 points in total and achieving two best performances with seventh-place finishes. However, he was dropped by the Red Bull management for the 2012 season and failed to secure a deal to return with another team.

After F1, Jaime Alguersuari continued his motorsport career in Formula E and GT competition but eventually lost his love for the sport. He retired from racing and turned to music, where he now produces and performs as a DJ under the name Squire (in reference to his second last name, Escudero).

#3 – Oliver Bearman – Saudi Arabia 2024 – 18 years, 10 months, and 1 day

Oliver Bearman made a noticeable entry into F1 during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last year. The Ferrari junior, who had already secured a pole position in F2 at the Jeddah circuit, was called in to replace Carlos Sainz, who was ill, starting from the last free practice sessions.

Despite limited preparation time, the Brit qualified in a very respectable 11th place and finished in an impressive 7th position in the race. He also broke the late Ricardo Rodriguez’s record by becoming the youngest driver to race in a Grand Prix for Ferrari.

With two other races on the calendar in 2024 (with Haas in Azerbaijan and Brazil), Oliver Bearman is now preparing for his first full season in F1 with the American team.

#2 – Lance Stroll – Australia 2017 – 18 years, 4 months and 25 days

Lance Stroll began his career within Ferrari’s junior program but left it before the 2016 season, the year he won the European Formula 3 title, to become a test driver at Williams. This involved intensive F1 preparation with tests on older single-seaters around the world.

He secured a full-time position in 2017 thanks to the support of his father, Lawrence Stroll, a billionaire businessman. Lance Stroll dispelled some doubts about his promotion by scoring his first points during his home Grand Prix in Canada, securing an impressive podium in Azerbaijan, and qualifying on the second row in the rain at Monza.

The acquisition of Force India by his father led the Canadian to join the team renamed Racing Point, where he surprised everyone with a pole position at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix. Today, he still races for the team, now known as Aston Martin.

#1 – Max Verstappen – Australia 2015 – 17 years, 5 months and 13 days

Max Verstappen dominates the list of youngest F1 drivers thanks to his spectacular rise. The Dutchman completed only one season in single-seaters before joining the Red Bull junior program and making his F1 debut with Toro Rosso in 2015 at just 17 years old.

Although his talent was still raw, Red Bull knew they had a gem on their hands. As mentioned earlier, he was promoted to the main team after just a few races in 2016, immediately securing his first victory in Spain, a taste of his promising future.

Let’s move to 2025: at 27 years old, Max Verstappen is a four-time world champion, behind only Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. He has 40 pole positions, 63 Grand Prix victories, 112 podiums, and over 3,000 points to his credit.