<p>F1 has always been about pushing boundaries, but some drivers took this literally by showing up as teenagers. From 17-year-old prodigies to tragic stories that changed the sport forever, a number of impressive young guns proved that talent doesn't wait for a driver's licence.</p> <p>The youngest F1 driver ever was so young he couldn't even legally drive a car on public roads in his home country when he first lined up on the grid. And yet, he went on to become a true legend…and is still there, competing at the highest level against today’s new generation of F1 drivers.</p> <p>Here's the countdown of the 10 youngest drivers to ever compete in Formula 1, and what happened to them after their record-breaking debuts.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>1. Max Verstappen - 17 Years, 166 Days (2015 Australian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When Max Verstappen rocked up to Melbourne Park in 2015, he wasn't just the youngest F1 driver ever – he was younger than some kids still in high school.</p> <p>At 17 years and 166 days, the Dutch teenager couldn't legally drive in the Netherlands, yet here he was about to pilot a 300km/h missile around Albert Park.</p> <p>Red Bull's gamble on the son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen raised eyebrows across the paddock and critics questioned whether someone so young had the maturity for F1's pressures.</p> <p>As we all know today, it didn’t take long for Max to quickly silence the doubters.</p> <p>His debut race ended in retirement with engine troubles, but just two weeks later in Malaysia, he became the youngest points scorer in F1 history.</p> <p>By 2016, he'd been promoted to Red Bull's main team and won his first race in Spain, becoming the youngest winner ever at 18 years and 228 days.</p> <p>Fast-forward to 2025, and Verstappen has four world championships under his belt. Not bad for someone who was criticised for being "too young" for F1.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>2. Lance Stroll - 18 Years, 148 Days (2017 Australian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Lance Stroll's path to F1 was significantly different from Verstappen's, as the Canadian's billionaire father Lawrence’s deep pockets pushed many to label Lance a "pay driver" when Williams announced him for 2017.</p> <p>His debut in Australia was forgettable, as a brake failure ended his race early. But Stroll proved he belonged with a shock podium finish in Azerbaijan just eight races into his career.</p> <p>Those who wrote him off as just another rich kid with racing ambitions had to eat their words.</p> <p>Since then, Stroll has carved out a solid F1 career. His father's ownership of Aston Martin might guarantee his seat, but Lance has shown he can handle the pressure and deliver when the car allows it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>3. Oliver Bearman - 18 Years, 306 Days (2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Oliver Bearman's F1 debut reads like something from a movie script, as the Ferrari reserve driver was in Saudi Arabia for an F2 race when Carlos Sainz suddenly needed appendix surgery.</p> <p>With less than 24 hours' notice, Bearman was thrust into one of F1's most demanding circuits</p> <p>What followed was arguably the most impressive debut performance in recent memory: despite having just one practice session to prepare, the young Brit qualified 11th and finished seventh, becoming the youngest driver ever to score points on debut for Ferrari.</p> <p>Bearman's composure under pressure was remarkable, especially if you consider he was an 18-year-old who'd never raced an F1 car in anger – and yet he looked like he'd been doing it for years. His performance earned him a full-time seat with Haas for 2025.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>4. Lando Norris - 19 Years, 124 Days (2019 Australian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Lando Norris brought a fresh vibe to F1 when he joined McLaren in 2019. Before then, the young Brit was already building a following through his Twitch streams and social media presence, showing that F1 drivers could be both fast and fun.</p> <p>His debut season showed plenty of promise, and by 2024, Norris had evolved into a genuine championship contender.</p> <p>His four wins that year proved he wasn't just a social media sensation, but he was a proper racing driver capable of mixing it with the best.</p> <p>During his early F1 years, Norris has been refreshingly open about mental health struggles, which is something we really want to thank him for – as his words and commitment helped to break down barriers around discussing such issues in motorsport.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>5. Jaime Alguersuari - 19 Years, 125 Days (2009 Hungarian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Jaime Alguersuari got the call-up to Toro Rosso mid-season in 2009 to replace the struggling Sebastien Bourdais.</p> <p>That was definitely not the ideal start for a young driver, as the Spaniard was thrown in at the deep end of F1's politics and pressure.</p> <p>His F1 career lasted three seasons, but Alguersuari struggled to make the impact Red Bull wanted. After being dropped in 2012, he couldn't find another seat and eventually left motorsport altogether.</p> <p>Interestingly, Alguersuari reinvented himself as a successful DJ and music producer, and while his F1 dreams didn't pan out, he proved there's life after the paddock.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>6. Mike Thackwell - 19 Years, 166 Days (1980 Canadian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>New Zealand's Mike Thackwell made history in Montreal in 1980, but his F1 debut lasted all of one corner.</p> <p>A multi-car pile-up at the start ended his race before it really began, and when the restart happened, his teammate took over his car.</p> <p>Thackwell got just one more F1 chance in 1984, again in Canada, but mechanical failure ended that race too.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>7. Ricardo Rodriguez - 19 Years, 206 Days (1961 Italian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Ricardo Rodriguez's story is one of F1's most heartbreaking. The Mexican teenager was incredibly talented, qualifying second on his Ferrari debut at Monza in 1961.</p> <p>Tragically, Rodriguez was killed just over a year later during practice for the Mexican Grand Prix and, at just 20 years old, he became F1's youngest fatal casualty.</p> <p>His death led to improved safety measures, and Mexico City's circuit was renamed the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in honour of Ricardo and his brother Pedro, who also died racing.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>8. Fernando Alonso - 19 Years, 218 Days (2001 Australian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When Fernando Alonso made his debut with Minardi in 2001, few could have predicted he'd still be racing in 2025 with Aston Martin.</p> <p>Yet, it was clear to everyone that the world had just met a special driver, as the young Spaniard showed flashes of brilliance even in the uncompetitive Minardi, catching the attention of Renault.</p> <p>By 2005, Alonso had become the youngest world champion (at the time), dethroning Michael Schumacher and Ferrari.</p> <p>A second title followed in 2006, and despite never winning another championship, Alonso has remained one of F1's most respected drivers.</p> <p>At 43, he's now the oldest driver on the grid – quite the journey from being one of the youngest!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>9. Esteban Tuero - 19 Years, 315 Days (1998 Australian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Esteban Tuero's F1 career was brief and largely forgettable. The Argentine struggled with the uncompetitive Minardi in 1998, finishing only four of his 16 races, with a best result of eighth.</p> <p>After his single season, he returned to Argentina and faded into relative obscurity in racing.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>10. Daniil Kvyat - 19 Years, 328 Days (2014 Australian Grand Prix)</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Daniil Kvyat looked like a future star when he impressed for Toro Rosso in 2014, earning promotion to Red Bull the following year. However, his time at the top team was cut short when Red Bull made the controversial decision to promote Verstappen mid-season in 2016.</p> <p>Kvyat never recovered from that demotion and, despite showing flashes of his early promise - which include a podium at the chaotic 2019 German Grand Prix-, he was eventually dropped from the Red Bull programme entirely.</p>