The youngest Formula 1 drivers of all time including Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli

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Formula 1 has seen young drivers debut in the pinnacle of motorsport throughout the series’ history, but the age that drivers now enter the field is often becoming younger.

Max Verstappen even forced the FIA to change the F1 regulations when he set the record for being the youngest driver in the championship’s history back in 2015. Verstappen even took the record off a fellow Red Bull junior in Jaime Alguersuari, who also debuted for Toro Rosso.

Toro Rosso, or AlphaTauri, RB and Racing Bulls as they would later be known, have been the F1 proving ground for Red Bull’s rising stars since the Austrian energy drink brand secured a second team in 2006. Having a junior team was also key in Red Bull’s bid to sign Verstappen.

Mercedes missed out on signing Verstappen in his youth as the Silver Arrows wanted him to spend a year in Formula 2, whereas Red Bull could take the Dutchman straight from the FIA Formula 3 European Championship to F1. Verstappen joined Red Bull’s main squad in 2016.

Racing Bulls also welcomed the latest talent off the Red Bull Junior Team production line in 2026 when Arvid Lindblad made his Formula 1 debut. The British prospect also became the fourth-youngest driver in F1 history to start a Grand Prix when he hit the Australian GP grid.

Max Verstappen is the youngest driver in Formula 1 history after debuting aged 17

Lindblad made his Formula 1 debut with Racing Bulls in the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. The Briton, with Swedish and Indian heritage, was only 18 years and seven months old when he debuted in Melbourne, which saw him replace Oliver Bearman in fourth in the record books.

READ MORE: The youngest F1 race winners of all time, including Max Verstappen

Verstappen sits clear as the youngest driver in Formula 1 history, having made his debut for Toro Rosso in the 2015 Australian GP at 17 years, five months and 15 days old. His debut for the junior Red Bull team saw the FIA change the F1 regulations to set a minimum age of 18.

The FIA eased its stance in June 2024 to let drivers aged 17 apply for special dispensation to receive the superlicence required to race in F1. No F1 team has yet benefitted from the age limit rule change, which is stated under Appendix L of the FIA’s International Sporting Code.

Verstappen’s career has also shown F1 teams the benefit of signing drivers at a young age, and affording them time to learn their trade in the pinnacle of motorsport. The Dutchman has since gone on to become one of the most successful drivers in the history of Formula 1.

Alguersuari held the record for being the youngest driver in F1 history for six years before Verstappen debuted with Toro Rosso. Now, the Spaniard does not even crack the top four, and he will drop to sixth when Lindblad takes to the grid at Albert Park with Racing Bulls.

Who is the youngest driver currently on the F1 grid?

Which team has the next future F1 driver in their junior academy?

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At 18 years old, Lindblad is the youngest driver on the current Formula 1 grid after his debut with Racing Bulls in 2026. The Briton took the honour away from Mercedes ace Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who aged 19 is the only other teenager on the Formula 1 grid at the start of 2026.

Antonelli became the third-youngest F1 driver in history when he replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in the 2025 season. The Italian debuted in the 2025 Australian GP at 18 years, six months and 19 days old, as Mercedes turned to their driver academy for their next star.

Only Verstappen and Lance Stroll have so far ever raced in Formula 1 at a younger age than Antonelli was at the time of his debut. Verstappen is also the only driver to ever debut in F1 while aged 17, as Stroll debuted with Williams in 2017 at 18 years, four months and 26 days.