F1 drivers age: How old are Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen, Norris and co

Graham Shaw
Monday 13 November 2023 09:59 - Updated: 13:27

Is the age of the drivers on the F1 grid getting younger these days?

Certainly, in recent years, some drivers have moved through the ranks quicker than ever, with current champion Max Verstappen the youngest to take part in a race weekend at the age of 17 years and three days.

That seems to have worked out pretty well since for him and Red Bull.

But what about the rest of the grid? From the relative veterans in Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the young pretenders such as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, what is the age range of the current drivers competing in F1?

F1 drivers and their age in 2023

Who are the oldest and youngest drivers on the grid in 2023?

The oldest driver on the grid in 2023 is 42-year-old Fernando Alonso, who joined Aston Martin in 2023 on a multi-year contract. Alonso’s first season in the sport was in 2001, meaning his career now spans three separate decades.

The youngest is McLaren new boy Oscar Piastri, who is just 22 years old.

What is the average age of an F1 driver in 2023?

The average age of a driver on the current F1 grid is 27.6, with this number pulled upwards by Hamilton and Alonso, the two oldest competitors in 2023.

The oldest ever F1 world champion

Juan Manuel Fangio is comfortably the oldest driver to win the F1 championship, at the age of 46 years and 41 days when he triumphed in August 1957.

The youngest ever F1 world champion

Though Verstappen ran him close, Vettel is the youngest at 23 years and 134 days in 2010.

The oldest driver to win an F1 race

Luigi Fagioli was aged 53 years and 22 days when he won the French Grand Prix in 1951. He actually shared the victory with the aforementioned Fangio.

The youngest driver to win an F1 race

Max Verstappen was just 18 years of age when he took the chequered flag in 2016 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

READ MORE: F1 drivers height: How tall are Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and co?