Who are F1’s youngest world champions?
02 November 2026Kimi Antonelli has made Formula 1 history by becoming the youngest-ever World Drivers' Champion, taking the record from Sebastian Vettel following his title-winning campaign in 2026.
At just 20 years and 68 days old, the Italian has beaten a record that had stood since Vettel's championship with Red Bull in 2010. He also becomes the latest addition to a list featuring some of the biggest names in F1 history, including Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen.
But where do the other young champions rank, and how old were they when they first lifted the famous trophy? Here's a look at the five youngest F1 world champions and the stories behind their title-winning seasons.
The top five youngest F1 champions
1. Kimi Antonelli (20 years and 68 days)
In 2026, Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history, streaking clear of Sebastian Vettel and the rest of the top five youngest drivers by more than three years.
The Italian secured the 2026 Drivers' Championship with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix in just his second season, after debuting with Mercedes at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix as an 18-year-old.
Antonelli's title-winning campaign also saw him become the youngest polesitter, the youngest driver to lead the World Championship and the youngest driver to complete a Grand Slam at the Monaco Grand Prix.
2. Sebastian Vettel (23 years and 134 days)
Before Antonelli came along, Sebastian Vettel held the record as Formula 1's youngest-ever World Champion, having claimed his first title at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The German entered the season finale 15 points behind Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and seven behind his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber.
Vettel eventually won the race, while Alonso and Webber finished seventh and eighth respectively after getting stuck in traffic. The result handed Vettel the championship by just four points, making him the youngest world champion in F1 history at the time.
His first championship was the start of a dominant period for Red Bull in which he went on to secure four consecutive Drivers' Championship titles between 2010 and 2013.
3. Lewis Hamilton (23 years and 300 days)
Like Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton's first Formula 1 World Championship arrived in just his second season, following a dramatic title battle that went down to the very last corner of the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Briton had come agonisingly close to winning the championship in his rookie campaign in 2007, when he finished level on points with McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso and just one point behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
The following season he was up against Felipe Massa, and heading into the final race at Interlagos, Hamilton needed only to finish fifth to guarantee the title, regardless of where Massa finished.
When a late rain shower turned the race on its head, Hamilton came in for intermediate tyres, falling back through the pack to sixth, where he’d ultimately lose the championship. But with Glock struggling on dry tyres, Hamilton was able to pass him into the final corner. The move secured fifth place and the points he needed to win the championship by a single point.
At 23 years and 300 days old, Hamilton became the youngest-ever F1 world champion, but the record was only with him for a short time until Vettel's triumph two years later.
4. Fernando Alonso (24 years and 57 days)
Fernando Alonso became Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion in 2005, finally putting an end to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's run of dominance.
After joining the Renault F1 team’s race line-up in 2003, the Spaniard quickly established himself as one of the sport's most exciting young talents, and by 2005, he was ready for a full title tilt. He won four of the opening seven races and maintained his consistency throughout the season, building a buffer over Raikkonen and McLaren.
A third-place finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix was enough to secure the title with two races remaining, making him the youngest F1 world champion at 24 years and 57 days.
Alonso followed that up with another championship in 2006, winning seven races to finish ahead of Schumacher by 134 points to 121. In doing so, he also became the youngest double world champion in Formula 1 history, a record which stood for five years until Vettel's title in Abu Dhabi in 2010.
5. Max Verstappen (24 years and 73 days)
Max Verstappen rounds out the five youngest F1 world champions, having secured his first Drivers' Championship at the dramatic 2021 Abu Dhabi title showdown.
The Dutchman had already rewritten the record books several times before his first title. He made his F1 debut at just 17 years and 166 days old, becoming the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix, before surpassing Vettel as the youngest race winner at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, aged 18 years and 228 days.
However, it took until his seventh full season in Formula 1 for Verstappen to get his hands on the World Championship after an intense, season-long rivalry with Hamilton, with the pair arriving at the final race level on points.
Verstappen secured pole position in Abu Dhabi, but Hamilton made the better start and controlled much of the race. The Briton looked set to take a record eighth championship until a late Safety Car, triggered by Nicholas Latifi's crash with five laps remaining, handing Verstappen the opportunity to pit for new tyres.
When the Safety Car then returned to the pits, the championship-deciding final lap got underway, with Verstappen passing Hamilton to take the race victory and his first F1 title.
