Oliver Bearman made his debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, making him one of the youngest drivers to compete in a Formula 1 race.
The 18-year-old replaced Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who missed the race weekend with appendicitis.
This means Bearman became the 13th teenager to start an F1 Grand Prix, but who were the other 12 and how did they fare?
Max Verstappen (17 years and 165 days)
Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso STR10 Renault
Photo credit: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen was just 17 years and 165 days old when he made his debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, making him the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix. Verstappen was only 16 when his move to Toro Rosso was announced, so we had never seen anything like that in F1. That meant he couldn’t even legally drive on public roads yet.
For this reason, the FIA immediately announced that while future F1 drivers must be over 18 years old, Verstappen only spent one year in F3, so he must spend at least two seasons in junior racing before reaching the top category. It was decided to introduce a rule that requires
Verstappen did not get off to a great start to his F1 career, retiring 32 laps into his debut race due to engine trouble. However, for the remainder of the season, Verstappen showed potential to become a future world champion, including defeating teammate Sainz, which led to his promotion to Red Bull in 2016.
Lance Stroll (18 years and 147 days)
Lance Stroll, Williams FW40
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Lance Stroll, like Verstappen, entered F1 under controversial circumstances, but for the Canadian it was because he brought financial support to the Williams team that gave him his debut. However, Stroll and Williams insisted that the teenager’s contract was made on the basis of performance, as it came after Stroll enjoyed a successful junior career that saw him win the Italian F4 and F3 European championships.
However, Stroll’s F1 career didn’t get off to a great start, with his debut race at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix being the first of three consecutive pre-season retirements. He finally scored points at the seventh race of the season in Montreal, followed by an incredible podium finish just two weeks later in Baku. At 18 years and 238 days old, this made him the second-youngest podium finisher in F1 history, just 11 days ahead of Verstappen’s first top-three record. Finish.
Oliver Bearman (18 years and 304 days)
Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24
Photo credit: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Bearman’s chance to compete in F1 came as a huge shock as it was announced just hours before final practice, meaning he had very limited time in the cockpit. Taking that into consideration, the Ferrari junior did a commendable job of qualifying in 11th place with less than a tenth of Q3 remaining, and finishing a solid seventh in the race.
This made him the third-youngest driver ever to compete in a Formula 1 Grand Prix, and came during Bearman’s second year in Formula 2. Despite Bearman initially taking pole position for the feature race, it was a huge surprise to hear that he would have to withdraw from F2 that weekend.
Lando Norris (19 years and 123 days)
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL34
Photo credit: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Lando Norris became a McLaren junior in 2017 and became the team’s official reserve driver later that year, so it was clear from the start that he was primed for a future F1 seat. In September 2018, before Norris’ F2 campaign ended, he was announced as McLaren F1 driver for the 2019 season, as part of the team’s all-new line-up alongside Sainz.
Norris made his debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, when he was 19 years and 123 days old, making him the third-youngest driver ever to compete in an F1 race. The McLaren driver finished outside the points in Melbourne despite making it to Q3, but quickly picked up points, which led to a contract extension midway through Norris’ impressive rookie season.
Jaime Alguersuari (19 years and 124 days)
Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso STR04
Photo credit: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Jaime Alguersuari made his debut at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix at just 19 years and 124 days old, making him the youngest driver in F1 history to start a race. Alguersuari’s first Grand Prix was at the tenth race of the season with Toro Rosso, replacing the underperforming Sebastien Bourdais, who only scored two points in 2009.
However, F1 was a big step up for Alguersuari, who came from Formula Renault and failed to score any points in 2009. Although he started 15th in Hungary, Alguersuari was the slowest driver in qualifying, retiring with five of the remaining seven cars remaining. race.
He ultimately scored his first points at the third race of the 2010 season, the Malaysian Grand Prix, and left Toro Rosso and F1 at the end of 2011. Alguersuari eventually retired from racing at just 25 years old and now works as a DJ in his native Spain.
Mike Thackwell (19 years and 181 days)
Mike Thackwell, Tyrrell 010
Photo by David Phipps
Mike Thackwell held the record for being the youngest F1 driver for 29 years, making his first start at the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix at just 19 years and 181 days old. This opportunity came after Thackwell finished eighth in the European F2 Championship but failed to qualify for the 1980 Dutch Grand Prix with Arrows.
However, Thackwell managed to qualify on his second attempt, joining Tyrrell at the back of the grid in Montreal. However, his race ended at the first corner after a collision between front row starters Nelson Piquet and Alan Jones caused a multi-car crash, including Thackwell’s. Although Tuckwell technically started the Grand Prix, a crash brought out a red flag and his Tyrrell car was handed over to Jean-Pierre Jarier for a restart. The New Zealander’s only other Grand Prix start since then was at the 1984 Canadian Grand Prix, when he retired on lap 30 due to turbo failure.
Ricardo Rodriguez (19 years and 207 days)
Ricardo Rodriguez, Ferrari 156
Photo by David Phipps
After showing great potential in motorcycle and sports car racing, Ricardo Rodriguez made his debut at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at the age of 19 years and 207 days, becoming the first teenager to start in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. For example, in the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rodriguez finished second in a Ferrari 250, making him the youngest driver to finish on the podium at the Circuit de la Sarthe, at 18 years and 132 days old.
In response, Ferrari awarded Rodriguez an F1 seat and claimed a new record. The Mexican took a surprise second place at Monza and became the youngest driver to start on the front row until Verstappen at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix. However, the race did not go as planned as Rodriguez retired with a fuel pump failure just 13 laps into his F1 debut.
However, just one year later, Rodríguez tragically died at the age of 20 when he crashed into the barrier at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez during practice for the first Mexican Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso (19 years and 217 days)
Fernando Alonso, European Minardi PS01
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Fernando Alonso was still a teenager when he made his F1 debut with Minardi at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. Minardi gave Alonso the opportunity after he served as their reserve driver in 2000. Alonso shared the F3000 seat, with the Spaniard finishing fourth in the standings.
However, success was much more difficult to find in Alonso’s rookie F1 season, as he finished the season with zero points until teaming up with Renault in 2002. Despite making his debut at a young age, Alonso is still racing well into his 40s, with the 2024 season set to be his first F1 season. In his 21st campaign in the series, he has already broken the record for the most starts for a driver in F1.
Esteban Tuero (19 years and 319 days)
Esteban Tuello, Minardi
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Minardi shocked the F1 world by giving Esteban Tuero, who had little racing experience, a seat for the 1998 season. Prior to F1, Tuero drove in F3 and F3000 in 1996 before moving to Japan’s Formula Nippon in 1997, where he scored just one point. However, he also served in a testing role for Minardi, which was still good enough for him to obtain a superlicence.
Tuero made his F1 debut at the 1998 Australian Grand Prix, but after qualifying 17th on the grid, he retired on lap 22 due to engine trouble. Tuero failed to score any points that season, and in the final race at Suzuka he collided with Tyrrell’s Toranosuke Takagi, sending Minardi flying into the air and damaging a vertebra in his neck. Tuello then retired from F1 just before the 1999 season, despite Minardi planning to use him again.
Chris Amon (19 years and 323 days)
Chris Amon, Reg Parnell Racing
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Chris Amon was the second teenager to start a Formula 1 race, competing in the 1963 Belgian Grand Prix at just 19 years and 323 days old.
Amon made his debut with Reg Parnell Racing after impressing the team founders in the 1962 New Zealand Winter Series, and the Kiwi eventually moved to England to pursue a career in F1. Amon, who ended up with 11 podiums, drove a Lola Mk4A in his debut race, but retired on lap 10 due to an oil leak after qualifying 15th.
Daniil Kvyat (19 years and 323 days)
Daniil Kvyat leads Toro Rosso STR9, Valtteri Bottas, Williams FW36
Photo credit: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
Daniil Kvyat made his F1 debut at the same age as Amon, but 51 years after his death. Kvyat’s path to F1 was also more traditional, as the Russian won the Formula Renault and GP3 series titles in the two years before making his Toro Rosso debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.
He replaced Daniel Ricciardo, who moved to Red Bull, and Kvyat impressed to reach Q3 in Melbourne before finishing ninth and picking up two points. Kvyat racked up more points in his rookie season and eventually ended up replacing Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull in 2015, with Verstappen taking his seat a year later.
Esteban Ocon (19 years and 345 days)
Esteban Ocon, Manor MRT05
Photo credit: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Esteban Ocon made his F1 debut at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, driving a Manor as the then GP3 champion, just 20 days shy of his 20th birthday. He started this year as Renault’s reserve driver alongside his DTM seat, but Rio Haryanto left Manor after financial support dried up and he was unable to meet his contractual obligations.
So Ocon appeared in the final nine Grands Prix of 2016, starting 16th at Spa. Despite failing to score any points at the uncompetitive Manor, he impressed enough to secure a 2017 Force India seat and won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix for Alpine in a long Started his F1 career.
Sebastian Vettel (19 years and 348 days)
Sebastian Vettel, BMW Sauber F1.07
Photo courtesy of Sutton Images
When the eventual four-time world champion made his first F1 start for BMW Sauber at the 2007 American Grand Prix, Vettel was also nearing the end of his teens. Indianapolis was the seventh race of the season, and 19-year-old Vettel, who had been BMW Sauber’s reserve driver since 2006, took part in place of Robert Kubica, who had a serious crash at the previous race in Montreal.
The German did well on his debut, qualifying seventh and finishing eighth in the points standings, making him the youngest ever F1 driver to score points at the time. Kubica returned for the next race, so later that year BMW-Sauber released Vettel to Toro Rosso so he could compete in the Hungarian Grand Prix in place of Scott Speed.
