Young and Champions, these are the 10 youngest drivers to become World Champions in the history of Formula 1 .
#1 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing
Champion at 23 years, 4 months and 11 days (in 2010)
GP de Abu Dhabi 2010
#2 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren F1
Champion at 23 years, 9 months and 26 days (in 2008)
2008 Brazilian GP
#3 Fernando Alonso, Renault F1 Team
Champion at 24 years, 1 month and 27 days (in 2005)
2005 Brazilian GP
#4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Champion with 24 years, 2 months and 12 days (in 2021)
GP de Abu Dhabi 2021
#5 Emerson Fittipaldi, Lotus
Champion at 25 years, 8 months and 29 days (in 1972)
Italian GP 1972
#6 Michael Schumacher, Benetton
Champion at 25 years, 10 months and 10 days (in 1994)
Australian GP 1994
#7 Niki Lauda, Ferrari
Champion at 26 years, 6 months and 16 days (in 1975)
Italian GP 1975
#8 Jacques Villeneuve, Williams Renault
Champion at 26 years, 6 months and 17 days (in 1997)
European GP 1997
#9 Jim Clark, Lotus
Champion with 27 years, 6 months and 04 days (in 1963)
Italian GP 1963
#10 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
Champion with 28 years, 0 months and 04 days (in 2007)
2007 Brazilian GP
When Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina, in 1950, became the first world champion in F1 history, he was exactly 43 years, 10 months and 4 days old. The first decades of the championship were led by older drivers and, as we can see, they were crowned at times in their lives when they would currently be retired or on the verge of quitting.
After the first two world championships in his forties, Alberto Ascari in 1952 set the first youth record, proclaiming himself champion at 34 years and 21 days. Jack Brabham lowered it to 33 years, 8 months and 10 days in 1959, before Jim Clark broke the thirty barrier and won his first title, in 1963, at 27 years 6 months and 4 days.
That record stood for almost a decade, until in 1972 Emerson Fittipaldi lifted the first of his crowns at 25 years, 8 months and 29 days. The Brazilian enjoyed the longest streak at the head of this table of young champions, since more than three decades would pass until in 2005 a Spaniard, Fernando Alonso , went one step further, winning the title at 24 years, 1 month and 27 days.
But five years later, and precisely in a final race in which both were at stake to be champions, Sebastian Vettel stole the record from Alonso, winning with 23 years, 4 months and 11 days, a mark that no one has yet been able to beat, not even Max Verstappen .
How long will the German’s record hold?
