Formula 1 is a category that was born on May 13, 1950 at the Silverstone circuit and, since then, 770 drivers have participated in a grand prix spread over 164 teams. There are currently a dozen teams on the grid, some with more history than others, but all of them have had youngsters behind the wheel at some point.
It is no longer uncommon to see pilots in their twenties at the controls of a single-seater with these characteristics, although in the past this was not the case. For this reason, it is interesting to know who has been the youngest debutant in the history of each team, at what age and in what race they did so.
Red Bull
The Austrians have become a modern Formula 1 classic, having appeared in the 2005 season after acquiring Jaguar. Throughout their history, they have won five drivers’ titles and four constructors’ titles, the latter consecutively. With Sebastian Vettel they lived their golden age, but in 2016 an unprecedented event occurred.
Max Verstappen managed to win in his first encounter with the RB12 at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, at just 18 years, 7 months and 15 days, making him, in addition to being the youngest driver to debut with Red Bull, the youngest in lift the winner’s trophy in Formula 1.
Williams
The legendary British team is located in the second team on this curious list, having a Lance Stroll of just 18 years, 4 months and 26 days at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix. That day a new era of single-seaters was launched, much faster and more demanding due to the increase in downforce, but it turned out to be a step backwards for Grove.
With the FW40 the decline of the English began, although the Canadian added a podium in Baku and for only 12 days he did not become the youngest driver in the history of Formula 1 to uncork the champagne, a record that Max Verstappen also owns.
McLaren
Those from Woking are the third most successful team in history, with eight constructors’ titles, as well as being the second with the most victories. Their first race was in 1966, in the Principality of Monaco, but it wasn’t until the 2019 Australian Grand Prix that we saw someone so young debut with them.
Lando Norris was barely 19 years, 4 months and 4 days old when he participated with the MCL34, a single-seater with which he qualified in eighth position, but could not score points by finishing 12th in a tragic week for Formula 1 due to the death of Charlie Whiting , who was the FIA race director.
Ferrari
The most successful team in the history of Formula 1 has had almost a hundred drivers officially on their cars in the grand prix, but none as young as Ricardo Rodríguez. The Mexican got into the Maranello car for the first time at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 27 days at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix.
On September 10 of that season, the youngest of the brothers left this mark for the rest of history, although his debut in red was not the desired one, since he abandoned on lap 13. His bad luck did not cease, and only one Course later he lost his life in the Grand Prix of his country with a Lotus.
Alfa Romeo
A mythical brand, which was the dominator at the beginning of Formula 1, has had ups and downs in the Grand Circus, with a definitive return in 2019. However, a year earlier it already enjoyed the name along with Sauber on the list of participants, and one of its pilots became the youngest to make his debut with the Hinwil team.
Charles Leclerc, 20 years, 5 months and 9 days old, started the 2018 Australian Grand Prix and was able to finish in 13th place, although it was not until later that the true potential of the Monegasque was seen, who ended up signing with Ferraris for 2019.
AlphaTauri
This team appeared in the 2020 season, when they said goodbye to the Toro Rosso nomenclature, a name with which it emerged in 2006 as the little brother of Red Bull. If he had continued as such, Max Verstappen would be the youngest to debut in Formula 1 with those from Faenza, at 17 years, 5 months and 15 days at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, the record for precociousness of the 73 courses of the sport.
However, under the name of AlphaTauri, Yuki Tsunoda is the youngest to compete with the Italians, since he got on the AT02 at the age of 20 years, 10 months and 17 days at the 2021 Bahrain GP, a race that he finished in ninth. position after a great performance.
Haas
The American team is the latest to join the Grand Circus, having made its debut in 2016, although it has been accustomed to relying on its drivers for a number of years, as could be seen keeping Romain Grosjean despite his repeated mistakes in his final stages and with the return of Kevin Magnussen for the 2022 season.
However, for 2021 they decided to modify their entire lineup, and they had the youngest in their short history. Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael, signed for the team to make his debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix at the age of 22 years and 6 days, although he had no chance to shine because the VF-21 was barely competitive and finished last, just ahead of those who dropped out.
Aston Martin
The Silverstone team entered Formula 1 in 2021 after Lawrence Stroll’s purchase of Force India, which immediately became Racing Point. The Canadian businessman chose to unite with the legendary street car firm, which had hardly any history in the Great Circus, so very few drivers can boast of having put themselves at the controls of a British single-seater.
Precisely his son, in addition to being the youngest of Williams, got on the AMR21 in Bahrain at the age of 22 years and 5 months to finish tenth and add the first point for the English.
Mercedes
The star’s team is one of the legendary Formula 1 teams, and it already won at the start of the Grand Circus, but it was not until the hybrid era that we saw its best period, winning all the constructors’ championships and only one escaped. drivers title.
In his long career he has had all kinds of pilots, but it is George Russell who previously climbed on a silver arrow, when in the 2020 Shakir Grand Prix, when he replaced Lewis Hamilton, at 22 years, 9 months and 20 days almost managed to win on his debut with Mercedes. Only an error in the pits and a puncture could prevent his celebration, although in 2022 he will be the main driver of the Brackley team.
Alpine
The French team appeared for the first time on the entry list in the 2021 season after its conversion into what was known as Renault. The Enstone team decided to change their name to give more importance to their brand of sports street cars, and as Alpine they returned to the top of the podium after 13 years at the 2021 Hungarian GP thanks to Esteban Ocon.
Precisely the French driver is the youngest to get on a single-seater of this group, doing so at 24 years, 6 months and 11 days at the 2021 Bahrain event, although Fernando Alonso is the earliest to be at the controls of a Renault throughout history. The two-time Asturian champion, who is Ocon’s teammate and Alpine’s starter, debuted with the blue and yellow colors at the 2003 Australian Grand Prix at the age of 21 years, 7 months and 11 days, achieving seventh position and two points, but his Glory day came in Hungary, when he became the youngest driver in history to win a race.
