Ranking the 10 Youngest World Champions in F1 History

As the Formula 1 has gained popularity all over the world, the battle for the championship has become stiff. With days gone by the number of old drivers started to become few and they were increasingly started to be replaced by the young guns. Each team started to bank on fresh and young blood to blaze for the championship as the sport grew more and more mature.

The Formula 1 now stands in a place where drivers start to compete even before they’re adult and the sooner a driver gets to compete, the sooner they get the chance to clinch the Driver’s Championship. With more and more experience gathered at an early age, the age of the winners of Championships started getting lower and lower day by day, year by year.

Today we’ll look into the top 10 youngest F1 drivers who got their hands on the coveted Drivers Championship trophy in a time where one can barely think it’s possible. So let’s hop on and away we go.

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#10. Jochen Rindt

• Championship Winning Age – 28 years, 169 days.

• Championship Winning Year – 1970.

Starting with no. 10 we have Jochen Rindt. Rindt is an German born driver who driven under Austrian license inspite of German and not having Austrian citizenship. Born in 18 April 1942 in Mainz, Volksstaat Hessen, Germany, Rindt has 62 races in his name and won 1 Driver’s World Championship. The Austrian has driven for the teams like Rob Walker (Brabham), Cooper, Brabham and Lotus in his 7 year-long Formula 1 career. Jochen died in 5 September 1970 (aged 28) at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Lombardy, Italy during the ongoing Italian Grand Prix.

#9. Kimi Räikkönen

• Championship Winning Age – 28 years, 4 days.

• Championship Winning Year – 2007.

Up ahead in no. 9 we have Kimi Raikkonen. Nicknamed as “The Iceman” Kimi is one of the most popular names in Formula 1 right now. The 2007 World Champion has been a similar name in the Ferrari line up for years. Born in 17 October 1979 in Espoo, Finland Kimi is now 41 year-old. Apart from Ferrari, Kimi has driven for Sauber, McLaren, Lotus and currently driving for Alfa Romeo. Raikkonen has raked up 342 races to his name and from there he managed to bag 21 wins and 103 podiums in his flamboyant career.

#8. Jim Clark

• Championship Winning Age – 27 years, 174 days.

• Championship Winning Year – 1963.

Next in no. 8 we have Jim Clark. Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve was born 9 April 1971 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. Jacques is a Canadian former Formula 1 driver who was active during 1996 to 2006. During his career as a driver Villeneuve has managed to bag 165 race to his name. Apart from Williams, the Canadian has raced for the teams like BAR, Renault, Sauber and BMW Sauber. Jacques managed to rake up 11 career wins in his career along with 23 podium finishes. The son of racing driver Gilles Villeneuve, Jacques is now 50 year-old.

#7. Jacques Villeneuve

• Championship Winning Age – 26 years, 200 days.
• Championship Winning Year – 1997.

Up ahead in no. 7 we have Jacques Villeneuve. Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve was born 9 April 1971 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. Jacques is a Canadian former Formula 1 driver who was active during 1996 to 2006. During his career as a driver Villeneuve has managed to bag 165 race to his name. Apart from Williams, the Canadian has raced for the teams like BAR, Renault, Sauber and BMW Sauber. Jacques managed to rake up 11 career wins in his career along with 23 podium finishes. The son of racing driver Gilles Villeneuve, Jacques is now 50 year-old.

#6 . Niki Lauda

• Championship Winning Age – 26 years, 197 days.
• Championship Winning Year – 1975.

Now in at no. 6 we have Niki Lauda. Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, also known as Niki Lauda is one of the sport’s most famous names. Having born in 22 February 1949 in Vienna, Austria, Niki has won three Formula 1 World Championship in his career. Having won for both McLaren and Ferrari, Lauda is the only driver to have this feat. The Austrian took part in 171 races and picked up 25 wins and 54 podiums from there. Apart from McLaren and Ferrari, Niki has also raced for the teams like March, BRM and Brabham. Niki raced from 1971 and raced till 1985. The legendary Lauda died in 20 May 2019 (aged 70) at the University Hospital of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

#5. Michael Schumacher

• Championship Winning Age – 25 years, 314 days.
• Championship Winning Year – 1994.

Up at no. 5 we have the Legendary Michael Schumacher. Born in 3 January 1969 in Hürth, West Germany, Schumacher is considered as the best ever Formula 1 driver who started his career before the Turbo Hybrid era. Having won 7 F1 World Championship, Schumacher also shares the record of most number of Championship wins alongside Lewis Hamilton. Having driven from 1991 till 2012, Michael clocked up 308 races to his name. The German is synonymous to Ferrari and apart from them Schumacher has driven for Jordan, Benetton and Mercedes. Michael had an astounding 91 wins and 155 podiums in his flamboyant career.

#4. Emerson Fittipaldi

• Championship Winning Age – 25 years, 303 days.
• Championship Winning Year – 1972.

Up next in no. 4 we have Emerson Fittipaldi. Emerson Wojciechowska Fittipaldi was a former Formula 1 driver from Brazil. Born in 12 December 1946 in Brazilian city of São Paulo, Fittipaldi is now 74 year-old. Emerson was active during 1970 to 1980 and raced for the teams like Lotus, McLaren and his own Fittipaldi Automotive. Fittipaldi had 149 races to his name and is a two times world champion. Emerson has 14 race wins in his name and 35 podium finishes.

#3. Fernando Alonso

• Championship Winning Age – 24 years, 59 days.
• Championship Winning Year – 2005.

Next in no. 3 we have Fernando Alonso. The two times Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso Díaz was born in 29 July 1981 in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Having driven for Ferrari for most of the time, the Spaniard is one of the successful driver in Formula 1. Apart from Ferrari, Alonso has driven for Minardi, Renault and McLaren. Alonso has 324 races to his name in his long career that started in 2001. The Spaniard has clocked up 32 wins and 97 podiums in his career. Fernando now drives for French team Alpine in 2021 Calendar.

#2. Lewis Hamilton

• Championship Winning Age – 23 years, 300 days.
• Championship Winning Year – 2008.

Finally in the 2nd place we have none other than Lewis Hamilton. Arguably the best (considering Lewis got more poles and podiums than Michael Schumacher) Formula 1 driver in the history of F1, Lewis Hamilton is the holder of seven times world champion. Considered as the living Mercedes legend, the Briton was born in 7 January 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. Having raced for 276 times in his career, Lewis raked up 98 race wins. Just two shy of the 100 wins, Hamilton is highly expected to touch the milestone this year itself. Hamilton has bagged 171 podiums in his career and the most successful driver in post turbo hybrid era. The 36 year-old driver currently drives for Mercedes AMG in 2021.

#1. Sebastian Vettel

• Championship Winning Age – 23 years, 134 days.
• Championship Winning Year – 2010.

And lastly in no. 1 we have Sebastian Vettel as the youngest ever driver to win the F1 World Championship. Born in 3 July 1987 in Heppenheim, West Germany, Sebastian has won four back to back driver’s Championship with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013. He is often considered as the Red Bull legend for his incredible feat in the team. The 34 year-old driver has driven for the teams like BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari and now is driving for Aston Martin in the 2021 season. Having started his 268 races throughout his career so far, the German has picked up 53 wins and 122 podiums finishes till now and is looking for more.

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