Who is the oldest F1 driver in history? 15 notable F1 veterans

Some of the oldest Formula One drivers include Juan Manuel Fangio, Piero Taruffi, Philippe Etancelin, Arthur Legat, Luigi Fagioli, and Adolf Brudes. Since its inaugural race in 1950, Formula One has seen talented racers from Louis Alexandre Chiron to modern legends such as Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda, and Lewis Hamilton.

Key takeaways

• The average age of the oldest drivers ranges between 30 and 55 years.
• The oldest driver to win a race is Louis Chiron, a Monacan race car driver aged 55 years, 292 days.
• In the 2025/26 Formula One season, Spanish racer Fernando Alonso is the oldest active race car driver.

All the oldest F1 drivers in history

In compiling this list of the oldest F1 drivers in history, we used recorded statistics and achievements as of 2025, acknowledging that rankings may change as up-and-coming race car drivers continue to excel. It was crafted with data and insights from sports sources, including Formula 1, StatsFI, and racing team websites, to ensure factual accuracy and historical context.

18. Michael Schumacher – 35 years, 7 months, 26 days

• Full name: Michael Schumacher
• Date of birth: 3 January 1969
• Place of birth: Hürth, Germany
• Age: 56 years as of 2025

According to Formula 1, the Benetton driver won his first Formula One World Championship in 1994 at 35 years, 7 months, and 26 days. Although his win was disqualified, he continued racing, even winning seven races in the 2006 season and finishing second at 37 years, 10 months, and 21 days.

In his final year in Formula One, he got one podium finish driving for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team at 43 years.

17. Niki Lauda – 35 years, 7 months, 29 days

• Full name: Andreas Nikolaus Lauda
• Date of birth: 22 February 1949
• Place of birth: Vienna, Austria
• Date of death: 20 May 2019

Based on data from StatsF1, Formula One champion Niki Lauda was 35 years, 7 months, and 29 days old when he secured his third and final championship at the Portuguese Grand Prix. In 1985, the Austrian race car driver won his final Grand Prix before retirement, making him one of the oldest winners of the race at 36 years, 8 months, and 15 days old.

16. Lewis Hamilton – 35 years, 10 months, 8 days

• Full name: Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton
• Date of birth: 7 January 1985
• Place of birth: Stevenage, England
• Age: 40 years as of 2025

Lewis Hamilton's 7th World Championship in 2020 came when he was 35 years old, making him the oldest F1 champion that year, according to the Formula 1 website. He also holds the record for being the youngest F1 World Champion, having won his first title at 23.

15. Damon Hill – 36 years, 26 days

• Full name: Damon Graham Devereux Hill
• Date of birth: 17 September 1960
• Place of birth: Hampstead, London, United Kingdom
• Age: 64 years as of June 2025

Damon Hill, son of two-time F1 World Champion Graham Hill, is one of the oldest Formula One rookies, debuting at 32. At 36 years and 26 days old, he joined the ranks of drivers over 30 who clinched a world title during the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix. At 35 years old, he had one of the oldest first-time wins during the 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix.

14. Mario Andretti – 38 years, 6 months, 13 days

• Full name: Mario Gabriele Andretti
• Date of birth: 28 February 1940
• Place of birth: Motovun, central Istria, Croatia
• Age: 62 years as of 2025

Mario Andretti made his first Formula 1 race in 1968 at 28 years old. Ten years after he became an F1 driver, he won the 1978 F1 World Championship, according to StatsF1. He continued his racing career in NASCAR before retiring in 1994.

13. Alain Prost – 38 years, 7 months, 2 days

• Full name: Alain Marie Pascal Prost
• Date of birth: 24 February 1955
• Place of birth: Lorette, France
• Age: 70 years as of 2025

French F1 driver Alain Prost holds the record as one of the oldest race car drivers to win a race, specifically, the 1993 World Championship title win. In 1993, the Williams driver secured his last championship at 38 years, 7 months, and 2 days.

12. Nigel Mansell – 39 years, 8 days

• Full name: Nigel Ernest James Mansell
• Date of birth: 8 August 1953
• Place of birth: Upton-upon-Severn, England, United Kingdom
• Age: 71 years as of June 2025

At 39, Nigel Mansell got his first and last World Championship chance. During the 1992 season, the English race car driver won the Hungarian Grand Prix after coming in second for much of his career. In 1994, he won the Australian Grand Prix at 41 years, 3 years, and 5 days, as per the GP Archive.

11. Graham Hill – 39 years, 8 months, 19 days

• Full name: Norman Graham Hill
• Date of birth: 15 February 1929
• Place of birth: Hampstead, London, United Kingdom
• Date of death: 29 November 1975

Graham Hill is one of the oldest drivers to win multiple races, with one of his monumental wins coming at 39 years, 8 months, and 19 days. According to GP Racing Stats, he added to his four Formula One wins at the 1969 Monaco Grand Prix at 40 years, 3 months, and 3 days.

10. Jack Brabham – 40 years, 5 months, 2 days

• Full name: Sir John Arthur Brabham
• Date of birth: 2 April 1926
• Place of birth: Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
• Date of death: 19 May 2014

Jack Brabham made his first F1 appearance in 1955, four years before winning his first World Drivers' Championship title in 1959, at the age of 33. In 1966, he won the title at the age of 40 years, 5 months, and 2 days, as per the National Museum of Australia. He continued racing and completed his racing career at the 1970 South African Grand Prix just as he neared his 44th birthday.

9. Fernando Alonso – 43 years old

• Full name: Fernando Alonso Diaz
• Date of birth: 29 July 1981
• Place of birth: Oviedo, Spain
• Age: 43 years as of June 2025

According to Formula 1, Spanish racer Fernando Alonso is the oldest driver in the 2025 Formula 1 grid. As of June 2025, the veteran driver is dominating the field at 44 years old. Although he has not won a championship, he has raced with a record-breaking 401 starts to his name.

8. Giuseppe Farina – 43 years, 10 months, 4 days

• Full name: Emilio Giuseppe Farina
• Date of birth: 30 October 1906
• Place of birth: Turin, Italy
• Date of death: 30 June 1966

Nino Farina won the first World Championship in 1950, at the age of 43 years and 10 months. With the 1950 win, the veteran record holder became the first world champion and the oldest driver. He also won the 1953 German Grand Prix at 46 years, 9 months. and 3 days

7. Piero Taruffi – 45 years, 7 months, 8 days

• Full name: Pierino Antonio Alberto Taruffi
• Date of birth: 12 October 1906
• Place of birth: Albano Laziale, Rome, Italy
• Date of death: 12 January 1988

Piero Taruffi's F1 career began at 35 years old when he debuted in F1 in 1950. At 45 years, 7 months, and 8 days, he won the race during the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix at the Bremgarten Circuit. In the last Mille Miglia, Piero Taruffi raced and won the legendary race at 50 years old.

6. Juan Manuel Fangio – 46 years, 1 month, 11 days

• Full name: Juan Manuel Fangio
• Date of birth: 24 June 1911
• Place of birth: Balcarce, Buenoa Aires, Argentina
• Date of death: 17 July 1995

According to Motorsport, Juan Manuel Fangio is one of the oldest Formula One winners after securing his fifth championship win during the 1957 German Grand Prix. Like Taruffi, Fangio was an active racer competing in the 1957 Mille Miglia at the age of 46.

5. Adolf Brudes – 52 years, 9 months, 20 days

• Full name: Adolf Brudes von Breslau
• Date of birth: 15 October 1899
• Place of birth: Kotulin, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
• Date of death: 5 November 1986

Polish F1 driver, Adolf Brudes, was 52 years, 9 months, and 20 days old when he took part in his first and last title race. As per the official Formula 1 website, he started for the first time at the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring Nordschleife and finished 19th after five laps. At the time of his retirement in 1968, he was 69 years old.

4. Luigi Fagioli–53 years, 22 days

• Full name: Luigi Cristiano Fagioli
• Date of birth: 9 June 1898
• Place of birth: Osimo, Marche, Italy
• Date of death: 20 June 1952

During the 1951 French Grand Prix, Luigi Fagioli won his only World Championship in a historic victory, alongside his Argentinian colleague, Juan Manuel Fangio. According to StatsF1, Fagioli was the oldest driver to win a Grand Prix at the age of 53 years and 22 days.

3. Arthur Legat – 54 years, 7 months, 18 days

• Full name: Arthur Legat
• Date of birth: 1 November 1898
• Place of birth: La Louvière, Belgium
• Date of death: 23 February 1960

Arthur Legat was 53 years, 7 months, and 21 days old when he made his debut in the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix, making him the oldest debutant in F1 history. He was also 54 when he entered the 1953 Belgian Grand Prix. He was the oldest driver in F1 during his two Grand Prix appearances in 1952 and 1953.

2. Philippe Étancelin – 55 years, 6 months, 8 days

• Full name: Philippe Jean Armand Étancelin
• Date of birth: 25 December 1896
• Place of birth: Rouen, France
• Date of death: 13 October 1981

At 55 years, 6 months, and 8 days, the French race car driver competed in his last championship, where he finished eighth. He also holds the record for being the earliest-born driver to race in the F1 World Championship, having been born in 1896.

In 1950, Étancelin made history as the oldest driver to score Formula One points, a record that remains unbroken, according to the F1 website. At the time, the fifth finisher in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza was 53 years and 249 days old.

1. Louis Chiron – 55 years, 9 months, 19 days

• Full name: Louis Alexandre Chiron
• Date of birth: 3 August 1899
• Place of birth: Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Date of death: 22 June 1979

Considering his age at the 1955 Grand Prix d'Europe, Chiron's performance was a historic one. At 55 years, 9 months, 19 days, the Monacan driver completed 95 laps, where he finished sixth driving a Lancia D50. He holds the record for being the oldest driver to start a Formula 1 race.

Who is the oldest F1 driver ever?

The oldest driver to participate in an F1 Grand Prix was Louis Chiron at 55 years, 9 months, 19 days. Additionally, F1 driver and engineer Adolf Brudes was 69 years old at his last race in the 1968 Taunus Hill Climb.

What is the maximum age of an F1 driver?

The FIA does not have a defined limit on age for Formula 1 drivers. While drivers generally retire around their mid-20s, there have been examples of drivers racing into their 40s and 50s.

What is the prime age for F1 drivers?

The ideal age for Formula 1 drivers is considered to be between 27 and 33 years. While physical peak might be in the early to mid-20s, experience and mental acuity make older drivers in their late 20s and early 30s formidable competitors.

Who is the oldest F1 driver in 2025?

In the 2025 Formula 1 season, Fernando Alonso is the oldest driver, turning 44 on July 29th. He is the only active driver who competed in the V10 engine era.

Louis Chiron holds the record as the oldest F1 driver at 55 years, 9 months, 19 days. Over the years, Formula 1 has seen a wave of talent across the ages, showing that age is no limitation when paired with talent and determination.

Legit.ng has recently published an article listing the youngest Formula One drivers. The FIA does not have a strict age requirement, limiting drivers by age.

The youngest drivers include Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel. Read on for details of the youngest debutants who have graced the Formula One races.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng