An unpredictable session saw many of the big players (McLaren, Ferrari and Renault) drop down the order and fail to qualify through the sessions. Sebastian Vettel’s incredible session in the wet during qualifying at Monza stunned the Formula 1 paddock. Image copyright: Motorsport Images Youngest F1 pole position Youngest Formula 1 racing drivers Sebastian Vettel celebrating his first pole position in Italy During the race, a mechanical issue forced Verstappen to retire. At the age of 17, he became the youngest driver to start a Formula 1 race since Jaime Alguersuari, who was almost two years older. When Max Verstappen stepped into his Torro Rosso on the grid in Australia, he wasn’t legally old enough to drive a car in his native Netherlands. Image copyright: Motorsport Images Youngest F1 race driver Youngest Formula 1 world champions Max Verstappen became the youngest Formula 1 driver in 2015. But there wasn’t much in it: Vettel was just 166 days younger than Lewis Hamilton when he won his world title. The following year, Vettel won his first world title in an all-or-nothing Abu Dhabi finale and became the youngest ever World Champion. In 2009, Jenson Button dominated but Vettel stayed within touching distance, finishing second by just 11 points. Image copyright: Motorsport Images Youngest F1 world championĪfter his impressive first season at Torro Rosso, Sebastian Vettel replaced David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing. Younegst Formula 1 driver records Sebastian Vettel celebrates Red Bull Racing’s first championships with Helmut Marko None-the-less, Verstappen remains the youngest driver to start an F1 race by some years, as well as the youngest point-scorer.Ĭheck out the records below, including youngest F1 driver, pole-sitter, race winner and world champions. But the Dutchman is now 23, the age Sebastian Vettel was when he won his first world championship. Max Verstappen was tipped to be a challenger after he won his first race in Spain 2016, beating Vettel’s record by three years. In later years with Red Bull, he became the youngest driver to win a World Championship.Īnd that’s a record that’s likely to remain for some years to come. In his first full Formula 1 season, he went on to gain pole position and win the race, making him the youngest driver to do both. Sebastian Vettel holds many of the records, as his career was jumpstarted by a superb performance at the Italian Grand Prix in 2008.

F1 drivers championship points