Max Verstappen is the youngest driver ever to start an F1 race, making his debut at 17 years, 5 months, and 13 days old.

Quick Scoop

If you mean the youngest F1 driver in history , that’s Max Verstappen.

If you mean the youngest current driver on the 2026 grid , that can change with the season; recent reporting says Arvid Lindblad was set to debut at 18 years and 212 days, while Kimi Antonelli also became one of the youngest modern F1 drivers and, as of today, is making headlines as a race winner and title leader.

What this means

  • All-time youngest F1 starter: Max Verstappen.
  • Recent youngest debutant among current-era drivers: Arvid Lindblad.
  • Youngest current headline-maker: Kimi Antonelli, who has recently won in Japan and become the youngest F1 title leader.

Tiny note

Different outlets sometimes use slightly different wording, like “youngest driver to race,” “youngest debutant,” or “youngest current driver,” so the exact answer depends on which record you mean.