The five youngest drivers ever to race for Red Bull in Formula 1 including forgotten 49-race star

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Several drivers have sat in a Red Bull Racing cockpit and raced for the team during the many seasons they have spent in Formula 1, but who are the youngest?

Red Bull have managed to win an array of titles since joining F1, including multiple Constructors’ Championships and several Drivers’ triumphs with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

They’re the only team in history to have two four-time champions who have won all of their titles with the same team.

It’s a testament to the scouting of ex-motorsport advisor Helmut Marko and the leadership of former team principal Christian Horner, who were massive parts of Red Bull’s success.

Red Bull are also renowned for promoting their products and for instilling faith in youth. But looking back at every driver who has ever raced for them in F1, who are the youngest five to sit in a Red Bull cockpit?

1. Max Verstappen (18 years, 7 months and 15 days)

Everyone knows Verstappen as the imperious machine who has won four consecutive Drivers’ Championships for Red Bull between 2021 and 2024.

Nearly 10 years ago, he was very fresh on the scene and Verstappen debuted with Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

He actually managed to win his debut race after the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg took each other out of the race on lap one.

The Dutchman withstood pressure from the experienced Kimi Raikkonen to become the youngest winner in the sport’s history on debut for the Austrian outfit.

The 27-year-old’s life isn’t all about real racing though, with Verstappen keeping sharp with esports outside of Formula 1.

2. Daniil Kvyat (20 years, 10 months and 19 days)

The man who Verstappen replaced back in 2016 was Russian driver Daniil Kvyat, participating in his second season for Red Bull at the time.

He ran into the back of Ferrari’s Vettel twice at the Russian Grand Prix that year, which ultimately saw them decide to demote the Russian back to Toro Rosso.

Kvyat’s original debut for Red Bull came back at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, following a year at the Toro Rosso team, where he suffered a loss of oil pressure and failed to start the race.

The Russian’s F1 career ended back in 2020 and he has since participated in the likes of the World Endurance Championship for Lamborghini.

Kvyat nearly returned to Red Bull in 2019, but Alex Albon was preferred as an option instead and he never got a shot at redemption.

3. Sebastian Vettel (21 years, 8 months and 26 days)

Surprisingly, Vettel isn’t any higher on this list considering that he is the youngest world champion in the sport’s history.

The German’s time with the team turned out to be quite a success, too, with Vettel helping Red Bull win four consecutive championship doubles between 2010 and 2013.

His first race wasn’t a sign of things to come though, as he clashed with Robert Kubica at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and crashed out while competing for a podium.

Ex-F1 race winner David Coulthard helped Vettel become a Red Bull driver after offering his test drive to him one day when he hurt his neck.

Vettel went on to win four of the 17 races on offer during his first season with Red Bull, before embarking on a title-winning campaign the following season and proving to everyone in the paddock why he was worthy of the seat.

4. Christian Klien (22 years, 0 months and 27 days)

Christian Klien isn’t exactly a household name in Formula 1, but he did participate in 49 races across his six-year career.

Jaguar, who eventually became Red Bull when the team were purchased for the reported sum of $1, gave Klien his first chance in F1 back in 2004.

He finished 11th on debut for Jaguar at the 2004 Australian Grand Prix – a race won by seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

A first Red Bull outing in Melbourne in 2005 went much better for the Austrian though, as Klien finished seventh and picked up two points under the old points system.

Klien’s best Red Bull result was a fifth place at the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix, but he was axed by the team after the Italian Grand Prix the same season and had to wait five years for another opportunity with HRT.

5. Liam Lawson (23 years, 1 month and 5 days)

Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Perez at Red Bull when the Mexican’s contract was terminated at the end of the 2025 season.

Lawson, who had previously substituted for an injured Daniel Ricciardo at the sister team in 2023 before ousting him on merit a year later, made his debut at the Australian Grand Prix.

But a disastrous Q1 exit and a DNF in the race set alarm bells ringing at Red Bull. After two more Q1 eliminations in China (a Sprint event) and another scoreless weekend, he was remarkably demoted back to Racing Bulls.

Yuki Tsunoda, who had been waiting more than four seasons for his opportunity, came in for the rest of the season.