Kimi Antonelli makes F1 history - where he ranks among youngest world champions

Kimi Antonelli has created history by becoming Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion in just his second season racing in the sport. How does he compare to the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris? 

1 - Kimi Antonelli 

First F1 world title: 2026 
Age: 20 years and 68 days 

Antonelli secured his maiden F1 world title in what marked a true coming-of-age season in just his second year racing in the world championship.

2026 was a season to remember for Antonelli, who set several F1 records including becoming the youngest-ever pole sitter, youngest world championship leader, and youngest driver to reach five victories. 

He also ended a 73-year drought of Italian champions on his way to setting a new F1 benchmark and breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record that stood for 16 years. 

2 - Sebastian Vettel 

First F1 world title: 2010 
Age: 23 years and 134 days 

Vettel had held the title of being F1’s youngest world champion since 2010 when he won his first world title aged 23. 

The German came from 15 points down on Fernando Alonso to secure the world championship with his fifth victory of the season in a memorable showdown at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 

It was the first time Vettel led the world championship all season. He would go on to clinch a total of four consecutive drivers’ crowns. 

3 - Lewis Hamilton 

First F1 world title: 2008
Age: 23 years and 300 days 

Before Vettel, the baby-faced F1 champion tag belonged to Lewis Hamilton. 

Having narrowly missed out on the F1 world title in his rookie season with McLaren in 2007, Hamilton bounced back to claim his first championship the following year. 

Hamilton secured the feat in nail-biting fashion in the memorable 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, overtaking Toyota’s Timo Glock on the last corner of the final lap of a hugely dramatic race. 

4 - Fernando Alonso 

First F1 world title: 2005
Age: 24 years and 58 days 

Alonso ended Michael Schumacher and Ferrari’s five-year reign at the top of F1 with a stunning campaign with Renault in 2005. 

The Spaniard took seven victories on his way to winning the title ahead of McLaren’s Kimi Räikkönen, while Schumacher won just once on his way to third-place. 

Alonso became F1’s youngest world champion at the time and went on to successfully defend his title the following year, despite a renewed fightback from Schumacher. 

5 - Max Verstappen 

First F1 world title: 2021 
Age: 24 years and 73 days 

Max Verstappen claimed his first world championship in the most controversial climax to an F1 season in history in 2021. 

Following a titanic, see-saw battle that raged the entirety of the season, Verstappen arrived at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix level on points with seven-time world champion Hamilton. 

Verstappen overtook Hamilton following a contentious last-lap safety restart to deny the Briton a record eighth world title, and snatch the first of four consecutive titles for the Red Bull driver. 

6 - Emerson Fittipaldi 

First F1 world title: 1972
Age: 25 years and 273 days 

Emerson Fittipaldi won the first of two world titles in 1972, becoming the youngest world champion in F1 at the time. Five grands prix wins in 12 races saw Fittipaldi beat Jackie Stewart to the world championship as Team Lotus picked up the constructors’ title. 

Fittipaldi held the record for 33 years until it was broken by Alonso in 2005. 

7 - Michael Schumacher 

First F1 world title: 1994 
Age: 25 years and 314 days

Schumacher won the first of his seven world championship titles in 1994 with Benetton. 

While it did not place him as the youngest world champion in history at the time, he did become Germany’s first F1 world champion as he edged out Damon Hill by just a single point. 

The title fight concluded in highly controversial fashion at the season finale in Australia with Schumacher winning the title after colliding with Hill, an incident which forced both drivers to retire. 

8 - Lando Norris

First F1 world title: 2025 
Age: 26 years and 24 days 

Lando Norris became one of F1’s youngest world champions at just 26 when he won the title for the first time in 2025. 

Norris beat Verstappen to the title by just two points despite winning one race fewer than his main rival to become the 11th British world champion at the end of his seventh season in F1. Norris was also McLaren’s first world champion since Hamilton in 2008. 

9 - Niki Lauda 

First F1 world title: 1975 
Age: 26 years and 197 days 

Niki Lauda won his first F1 world drivers’ title in 1975 after storming to victories in Monaco, Belgium, Sweden, France and the United States. 

The Austrian ended an 11-year title drought for Ferrari. Lauda would go on to win a second world championship with the Scuderia two years later, before adding a third with McLaren in 1984. 

10 - Jacques Villeneuve 

First F1 world title: 1997
Age: 26 years and 200 days 

After nearly winning the F1 title in his debut season in the sport, Jacques Villeneuve did so at the next try in 1997 with Williams. 

The son of legendary Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve won seven times as he secured the title ahead of Schumacher, who was later disqualified from the 1997 season for deliberately colliding with the Canadian at the European Grand Prix in Jerez.