Who Is The Oldest F1 Driver?

The oldest Formula 1 driver currently competing is Fernando Alonso, aged 44. The oldest driver to ever start a Grand Prix was Louis Chiron, who took part in the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix at 55 years old.

While today’s grid skews younger due to increased physical demands and driver development pathways, earlier decades often featured competitors well into their 40s and 50s. These examples reflect how the profile of an F1 driver has evolved, from gentlemen racers to full-time elite athletes.

This article explores five key milestones of age in Formula 1: the current oldest driver on the grid, the oldest competitor to ever start a race, the oldest to win a Grand Prix, the most senior World Champion, and a full breakdown of the top ten oldest drivers to take part in a World Championship event…

Who Is The Oldest F1 Driver On The 2025 Grid

Fernando Alonso remains the oldest active Formula 1 driver in 2025, competing at 44 years of age. His longevity is unprecedented in the modern era, where the physical, mental, and technical demands of the sport have shortened most careers to a decade or less. Alonso debuted in 2001, retired temporarily at the end of 2018, and returned in 2021, extending his Grand Prix tally past 400 race starts.

Alonso’s career arc spans multiple eras of Formula 1 machinery, regulation changes, and power unit philosophies. From mastering the screaming V10s of the early 2000s to managing hybrid-era energy deployment strategies, he has maintained technical fluency at a level few drivers achieve. His 2005 and 2006 World Championships came in an era dominated by tyre war strategies and refuelling, yet he remains competitive in a vastly different ruleset under ground-effect aerodynamics in 2025.

Modern F1 places greater emphasis on simulation training, race fitness, and data interpretation, areas in which Alonso continues to excel. Unlike previous generations of drivers who extended their careers into their 50s during a less physically taxing era, Alonso competes against athletes in their early 20s operating at peak physiological capacity.

Although he hasn’t made any firm plans to retire, Alonso hinted in a team interview that 2026 could potentially be his last season on the grid, saying “If things go well, I think it’s a very good moment to stop because I’ve been chasing a competitive car and competitive racing for many, many years, and if I have that I think it’s a very good way to close my career.

“Let’s say that if we are competitive, there is more chance that I stop. If we are not competitive, it will be very hard to give up without trying again.”

Who Is The Oldest F1 Driver To Start A Grand Prix?

The official record for the oldest driver to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix belongs to Louis Chiron, who competed in the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix at 55 years and 292 days old.

Chiron, a native of Monaco, had already established a decorated pre-World Championship racing career before F1 was formalised in 1950. Known for his technical feel and mechanical sympathy, he achieved success across multiple Grand Prix formats and even won the 1931 Monaco Grand Prix. His participation in the 1955 edition of the race marked his final appearance in a competitive F1 entry, driving a privately entered Lancia D50 against a field that included future legends such as Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio.

In an era where safety standards, fitness regimens, and reaction time expectations were vastly different, Chiron’s continued participation into his mid-fifties was not unusual. Post-war Grand Prix grids often included veterans well beyond 40, partly due to the smaller talent pool and the high value placed on mechanical experience and consistency over raw athleticism. Today’s licensing requirements and physical demands make such late-career entries virtually impossible in modern F1.

No other driver has since come close to matching Chiron’s record. The closest in the post-1960 era was Mario Andretti, who returned at age 49 for a one-off appearance with Ferrari at the 1982 Italian Grand Prix. The shift away from older competitors reflects the sport’s evolution into a youth-dominated championship, but Chiron’s longevity remains a foundational part of F1’s early narrative.

Top 10 Oldest Drivers Ever to Start a Grand Prix

Formula 1’s early decades featured several drivers who competed into their fifties, reflecting a very different era of physical demands and medical oversight compared to today’s standards. Below is the definitive list of the ten oldest drivers ever to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix, based on official FIA records.

• Louis Chiron – 55 years, 292 days Monaco Grand Prix, 1955 Chiron remains the oldest Formula 1 driver ever to start a Grand Prix. A national hero in Monaco, he raced in the early days of pre-war Grand Prix competition before transitioning into the World Championship era. His final start came on home soil, where he finished sixth in front of a home crowd in a privately entered Lancia D50.
• Philippe Etancelin – 55 years, 191 days French Grand Prix, 1952 Known for his distinctive white cap and aggressive driving style, Etancelin had a decorated racing career that began in the 1920s. His last Formula 1 start was at Rouen-les-Essarts, where he raced a Talbot-Lago in front of a home audience, finishing 10th.
• Arthur Legat – 54 years, 232 days Belgian Grand Prix, 1953 A Belgian privateer, Legat participated only in his home race at Spa-Francorchamps. After debuting in 1952, he returned for a second and final start in 1953, retiring early due to mechanical failure.
• Luigi Fagioli – 53 years, 22 days French Grand Prix, 1951 Fagioli became the oldest driver to win a Formula 1 race with a part-drive victory at Reims, where he started for Alfa Romeo and handed over to team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio. It was his final Grand Prix appearance before his death the following year.
• Adolf Brudes – 52 years, 293 days German Grand Prix, 1952 Brudes made a single World Championship appearance for Borgward at the Nürburgring. Known previously for hillclimb and touring car success, he retired after five laps due to engine failure.
• Rudolf Krause – 52 years, 259 days German Grand Prix, 1953 A German driver active in East German motorsport, Krause entered several Grand Prix events in the early 1950s. His final start came with a privateer team at the Nürburgring, where he failed to finish.
• Hans Stuck – 52 years, 121 days German Grand Prix, 1953 The father of future Le Mans winner Hans-Joachim Stuck, he was a hillclimb specialist and Auto Union star in the pre-war era. He participated in two World Championship races for AFM, with his final appearance at the Nordschleife.
• Bill Aston – 52 years, 124 days German Grand Prix, 1952 A British former test pilot and motorcycle racer, Aston made a single Grand Prix start at the Nürburgring in 1952. Driving for his own team, Aston Butterworth, he retired early due to technical issues in a race that proved too ambitious for the small operation.
• Gianfranco Comotti – 52 years, 16 days Italian Grand Prix, 1950 Comotti took part in the inaugural World Championship season with a shared Maserati entry. His final race came at Monza in the first year of the modern F1 era, having raced for both Talbot and Maserati prior to that.
• Paul Pietsch – 50 years, 9 months, 0 days German Grand Prix, 1952 Pietsch was a leading driver for Auto Union before the war. He competed in the World Championship sporadically and ran in the 1952 German GP with a privateer Veritas, retiring after 10 laps.

Who Is The Oldest F1 Driver To Win A Race?

The oldest driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix is Luigi Fagioli, who claimed victory at the 1951 French Grand Prix at 53 years and 22 days old. The result came during an era when shared drives were permitted, and in this instance, Fagioli split driving duties with Juan Manuel Fangio. The two drivers were part of the Alfa Romeo works team, and the victory was officially credited to both.

Fagioli began the race at Reims-Gueux and completed the first 20 laps in difficult conditions. Fangio, who had suffered a mechanical issue in his own car, took over Fagioli’s machine and carried it to the chequered flag. Under the rules of the time, both drivers received the win, although Fangio was the one who ultimately crossed the line first. Despite this, Fagioli’s name remains in the record books as the oldest Grand Prix winner in Formula 1 history.

Shared drives were legal in the early 1950s, largely due to the extreme mechanical strain placed on early F1 cars and the physical toll on drivers during long races, often held in high temperatures with minimal safety equipment. Teams could substitute a driver mid-race as long as the car had not retired. Championship points and victories were split, though this practice eventually faded out as professionalisation increased.

The practice of shared drives was banned in 1958, making Fagioli’s victory a historical footnote from a formative period in the sport. In today’s format, such a result would be impossible, as modern regulations mandate that a single driver must complete the entire race distance.

Who are the next oldest race winners in F1 history?

Outside of Fagioli’s unique case, several drivers in their forties have claimed Grand Prix victories, but none have come close to matching his record. The second-oldest winner is Giuseppe Farina, who triumphed at the 1953 German Grand Prix at 46 years and 276 days. Like Fagioli, Farina belonged to an earlier generation of racers when drivers frequently remained active into their forties.

Juan Manuel Fangio follows closely, winning the 1957 German Grand Prix at 46 years and 41 days. His drive at the Nürburgring is considered one of the greatest in F1 history, featuring a comeback through the field after a late pit stop. Fangio’s ability to outperform younger rivals deep into his career underscores the skill gap he maintained despite his age.

Piero Taruffi ranks fourth on the list, winning the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix at 45 years and 219 days. His win came during a transitional period for the championship, which briefly ran to Formula Two regulations. Despite the regulation change, the event remains a full F1 World Championship race.

Jack Brabham completes the top five, winning the 1970 South African Grand Prix at 43 years and 339 days. Brabham’s victory was his final one in F1 and occurred during his own team’s golden years. Unlike his contemporaries from the 1950s, Brabham’s win came during a far more advanced era, which makes his placement on this list particularly noteworthy.

Who Is The Oldest F1 Driver To Win A Championship

The oldest Formula 1 driver to win a World Championship title is Juan Manuel Fangio, who secured his fifth and final crown in 1957 at the age of 46 years and 41 days.

Fangio’s 1957 championship was delivered with Maserati, following earlier titles with Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari. This made him the only driver in history to win titles with four different constructors.

His final championship included some of his most legendary performances, including a strategic masterpiece at the Nürburgring. After a late pit stop dropped him behind the leading Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, Fangio clawed back the deficit with a series of record-breaking laps to retake the lead and secure the victory.

Fangio’s success in his mid-forties reflected an era where physical endurance, mechanical understanding, and driver input had greater influence over race outcomes than in the aerodynamically and technically optimised environments of modern F1. His methodical driving style preserved the machinery through races that often exceeded two hours in duration, without power steering, carbon brakes, or sophisticated suspension.

Who are the oldest F1 champions since the 2000s?

Since the turn of the century, only a few drivers have captured titles beyond their early thirties. The most notable is Michael Schumacher, who won his seventh title in 2004 at 35 years and 239 days. His run with Ferrari during the early 2000s remains one of the most dominant in F1 history, yet his age at the time still fell well short of Fangio’s benchmark.

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion like Schumacher, claimed his most recent title in 2020 at 35 years and 145 days.

Kimi Räikkönen also warrants mention, having returned to F1 after a hiatus and competing at a high level until the age of 42. However, his sole championship came in 2007 at 28 years and 4 days old.

Fernando Alonso, still active on the 2025 grid at 44, is the oldest full-time driver in the modern hybrid era, though his two titles were secured in 2005 and 2006, both before his 26th birthday.