Who are the youngest and oldest F1 drivers on the current grid? Who are the youngest and oldest drivers to ever race in the sport? Facts and statistics on the ages of Formula 1 drivers.

^{Header Image: © Andrew Balfour}

Who is the oldest F1 driver racing in 2024?

Fernando Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid in the 2024 Formula 1 season. In July 2024, Alonso celebrated his 43rd birthday. It made him only the second driver this millennium to have raced beyond his 43rd birthday. Michael Schumacher is the only other driver to have done so in F1’s recent history. He retired after the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, just over a month before his 44th birthday.

At the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, Alonso joined a list of just five other drivers who’ve raced in Formula 1 beyond their 43rd birthday since 1970. The other drivers on the list are Jack Brabham, Pete Lovely, John Love, Graham Hill and Michael Schumacher.

Who is the youngest F1 driver racing in 2024?

Oscar Piastri was the youngest driver on the 2024 Formula 1 grid at the start of the season. He was born on April 6, 2001. Franco Colapinto became the youngest driver currently racing in F1 when he took Logan Sargeant’s Williams seat from the Italian Grand Prix onwards. Colapinto was born on May 27, 2003.

Piastri, Sargeant and Colapinto are three of five drivers born in the 2000s to have raced in Formula 1 this year. RB’s current driver line-up – Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda – are the other drivers born this century to have raced in F1 this year. Tsunoda was the first driver born in the 2000s to race in the sport.

Piastri was born after Fernando Alonso’s Formula 1 debut at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. It made Alonso the first driver to compete against a driver who was born after he started racing in the sport.

Who is the youngest ever F1 driver?

Max Verstappen is the youngest driver to ever race in Formula 1 and is the only driver to race in the sport under the age of 18. He made his F1 debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at the age of 17 years and 5 months. One year later, Verstappen became F1’s youngest ever race winner at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

Who is the oldest ever F1 driver?

Louis Chiron is the oldest ever driver to race in Formula 1. He made the last of 15 World Championship starts at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix, just over two months before his 56th birthday.

F1 Driver Ages: Facts and Stats

FERNANDO ALONSO, 43 years old

• Date of birth: July 29, 1981
• World Champion in year of birth: Nelson Piquet
• First race after birth: 1981 German Grand Prix

LEWIS HAMILTON, 39 years old

• Date of birth: January 7, 1985
• World Champion in year of birth: Alain Prost
• First race after birth: 1985 Brazilian Grand Prix

NICO HULKENBERG, 37 years old

• Date of birth: August 19, 1987
• World Champion in year of birth: Nelson Piquet
• First race after birth: 1987 Italian Grand Prix

DANIEL RICCIARDO, 35 years old

• Date of birth: July 1, 1989
• World Champion in year of birth: Alain Prost
• First race after birth: 1989 French Grand Prix

VALTTERI BOTTAS, 35 years old

• Date of birth: August 28, 1989
• World Champion in year of birth: Alain Prost
• First race after birth: 1989 Italian Grand Prix

SERGIO PEREZ, 34 years old

• Date of birth: January 26, 1990
• World Champion in year of birth: Ayrton Senna
• First race after birth: 1990 United States Grand Prix

KEVIN MAGNUSSEN, 31 years old

• Date of birth: October 5, 1992
• World Champion in year of birth: Nigel Mansell
• First race after birth: 1992 Japanese Grand Prix

CARLOS SAINZ, 30 years old

• Date of birth: September 1, 1994
• World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
• First race after birth: 1994 Italian Grand Prix

PIERRE GASLY, 28 years old

• Date of birth: February 7, 1996
• World Champion in year of birth: Damon Hill
• First race after birth: 1996 Australian Grand Prix

ALEX ALBON, 28 years old

• Date of birth: March 23, 1996
• World Champion in year of birth: Damon Hill
• First race after birth: 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix

ESTEBAN OCON, 28 years old

• Date of birth: September 17, 1996
• World Champion in year of birth: Damon Hill
• First race after birth: 1996 Portuguese Grand Prix

MAX VERSTAPPEN, 27 years old

• Date of birth: September 30, 1997
• World Champion in year of birth: Jacques Villeneuve
• First race after birth: 1997 Japanese Grand Prix

CHARLES LECLERC, 27 years old

• Date of birth: October 16, 1997
• World Champion in year of birth: Jacques Villeneuve
• First race after birth: 1997 European Grand Prix

GEORGE RUSSELL, 26 years old

• Date of birth: February 15, 1998
• World Champion in year of birth: Mika Hakkinen
• First race after birth: 1998 Australian Grand Prix

LANCE STROLL, 26 years old

• Date of birth: October 29, 1998
• World Champion in year of birth: Mika Hakkinen
• First race after birth: 1998 Japanese Grand Prix

ZHOU GUANYU, 25 years old

• Date of birth: May 30, 1999
• World Champion in year of birth: Mika Hakkinen
• First race after birth: 1999 Spanish Grand Prix (Zhou is one of only nine drivers who was born on the same day that a Grand Prix was held)

LANDO NORRIS, 25 years old

• Date of birth: November 13, 1999
• World Champion in year of birth: Mika Hakkinen
• First race after birth: 2000 Australian Grand Prix

YUKI TSUNODA, 24 years old

• Date of birth: May 11, 2000
• World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
• First race after birth: 2000 European Grand Prix

LOGAN SARGEANT, 23 years old

• Date of birth: December 31, 2000
• World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
• First race after birth: 2001 Australian Grand Prix

OSCAR PIASTRI, 23 years old

• Date of birth: April 6, 2001
• World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
• First race after birth: 2001 San Marino Grand Prix

LIAM LAWSON, 22 years old

• Date of birth: February 11, 2022
• World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
• First race after birth: 2002 Australian Grand Prix

FRANCO COLAPINTO, 21 years old

• Date of birth: May 27, 2003
• World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
• First race after birth: 2003 Australian Grand Prix