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 2025?
Fernando Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid in the 2025 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.
In 2025, there are two drivers in their 40s racing in Formula 1. Ahead of his move to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton will turn 40 in January.
Who is the youngest F1 driver racing in 2025?
There is an influx of new, young talent in Formula 1 in 2025. Oscar Piastri was the youngest driver at the start of the 2024 season – but there are now six drivers on the grid who are younger than him
Kimi Antonelli is the youngest driver on the 2025 Formula 1 grid. Born on August 25, 2006, Antonelli will become the third-youngest driver to ever compete in F1 when he makes his debut at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. Only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll made their first appearances at a younger age.
Eight drivers on the 2025 F1 grid were born during the 21st century, while seven were born after Fernando Alonso made his Grand Prix debut in 2001. Alonso is the first driver in F1 history to compete against drivers who were born after he made his Grand Prix debut.
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.
Driver | Age | Birthday |
|---|---|---|
Fernando Alonso | 43 | July 29, 1981 |
Lewis Hamilton | 40 | January 5, 1985 |
Nico Hulkenberg | 37 | August 19, 1987 |
Carlos Sainz | 30 | September 1, 1994 |
Pierre Gasly | 28 | February 7, 1996 |
Alex Albon | 28 | March 23, 1996 |
Esteban Ocon | 28 | September 17, 1996 |
Max Verstappen | 27 | September 30, 1997 |
Charles Leclerc | 27 | October 16, 1997 |
George Russell | 26 | February 15, 1998 |
Lance Stroll | 26 | October 29, 1998 |
Lando Norris | 25 | November 13, 1999 |
Yuki Tsunoda | 24 | May 11, 2000 |
Oscar Piastri | 23 | April 6, 2001 |
Liam Lawson | 22 | February 11, 2002 |
Jack Doohan | 21 | January 20, 2003 |
Isack Hadjar | 20 | September 28, 2004 |
Gabriel Bortoleto | 20 | October 14, 2004 |
Ollie Bearman | 19 | May 8, 2005 |
Kimi Antonelli | 18 | August 25, 2006 |
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, 40 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
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
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
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
JACK DOOHAN, 21 years old
- Date of birth: January 20, 2003
- World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
- First race after birth: 2003 Australian Grand Prix
ISACK HADJAR, 20 years old
- Date of birth: September 28, 2004
- World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
- First race after birth: 2004 Japanese Grand Prix
GABRIEL BORTOLETO, 20 years old
- Date of birth: October 14, 2004
- World Champion in year of birth: Michael Schumacher
- First race after birth: 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix
OLLIE BEARMAN, 19 years old
- Date of birth: May 8, 2005
- World Champion in year of birth: Fernando Alonso
- First race after birth: 2005 Spanish Grand Prix* (*Bearman is one of only ten drivers who was born on the same day that a Grand Prix was held)
KIMI ANTONELLI, 18 years old
- Date of birth: August 25, 2006
- World Champion in year of birth: Fernando Alonso
- First race after birth: 2006 Turkish Grand Prix