Kimi Antonelli’s victory in the Japanese Grand Prix moved the Italian teenager to the prime of the Drivers’ Championship for the first time, and in the course of, break yet one more document.
Having change into the youngest Grand Prix polesitter and winner in Formula 1 historical past simply two weeks earlier in China, Antonelli repeated his victory feat at the Suzuka Circuit.
With it, the 19-year-old Italian turned the youngest driver to sit at the prime of the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings, however simply who has he overwhelmed for the document?
10. Charles Leclerc – Bahrain 2022 (24 years, 5 months and 4 days)
Having joined Ferrari in 2019 after a formidable debut season with Sauber the earlier 12 months, Charles Leclerc quickly started to make his mark with the Scuderia.
Back-to-back wins got here in the Belgium and Italian Grands Prix that season but it surely took till 2022 and a brand new set of rules for the Monegasque driver to mount his first try at the F1 title.
Victory in the Bahrain season-opener gave him the factors lead for the first time and he held prime spot till the sixth spherical of the marketing campaign, the place he retired from the lead of the Spanish GP with a mechanical failure.
Thereafter, Leclerc by no means obtained on phrases with Max Verstappen and had to accept second in the title race, which nonetheless stays his finest end to an F1 season to this point.
9. Oscar Piastri – Saudi Arabia 2025 (24 years, 0 months and 14 days)
In simply his third season of F1, Oscar Piastri mounted a title problem with McLaren final 12 months, which in the end would fall simply wanting a maiden title in the championship.
Piastri claimed seven victories in 2025, the majority of which got here in the first half of the season as wins in China, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia moved him into the lead of the Drivers’ Championship for the first time in his profession.
Piastri held that benefit till Mexico, spherical 20 of 24, having let a 34-point lead to workforce mate and eventual champion Lando Norris slip.
The Australian finally completed third in the standings behind Max Verstappen and 13 factors adrift of Norris.
8. Max Verstappen – Monaco 2021 (23 years, 7 months and 23 days)
Max Verstappen isn’t any stranger to holding data, the Dutchman nonetheless the youngest driver to make his F1 debut (Australia 2015), youngest factors scorer (Malaysia 2015), and youngest race winner courtesy of his triumph at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix on his debut with Red Bull.
Despite additional wins throughout the following 4 seasons, it took till 2021 for Verstappen to mount his first title bid in a titanic wrestle with seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton.
Three runner-up finishes and two wins to begin the season meant his victory in Monaco gave him the championship lead for the first time, as he and Hamilton finally entered the Abu Dhabi title-decider tied on factors.
With Verstappen successful and securing his first title, it paved the manner for him to safe three extra Drivers’ Championships in successive seasons earlier than lacking out on the 2025 crown by simply two factors.
7. Fernando Alonso – Malaysia 2005 (23 years, 7 months and 22 days)
Having been given testing duties with Renault after a formidable debut F1 season with backmarkers Minardi in 2001, Fernando Alonso was promoted to race for the French producer in 2003.
His first pole place and victory got here rapidly in Malaysia and Hungary respectively, but it surely took till new rules had been carried out in 2005 for him to be ready for his first F1 title.
Victory at the second spherical in Malaysia gave him the factors lead for the first time and an extra six wins ensured him of his maiden F1 title, repeating the feat towards seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher the following season.
Despite coming shut to extra title success in 2007, 2010 and 2012, Alonso has but to add to his championship tally regardless of nonetheless racing at the age of 44 with Aston Martin.
6. Robert Kubica – Canada 2008 (23 years, 6 months and 1 day)
While Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa in the end battled for the end result of the 2008 title, it was a case of what may need been for Robert Kubica.
The Pole had solely made his F1 debut mid-way via 2006 with BMW Sauber at the expense of Jacques Villeneuve, however took his maiden F1 podium at the Italian GP on simply his third begin.
Although no extra rostrums got here in 2007, by the following season he had taken three at the begin of the marketing campaign earlier than claiming his one and solely victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. It gave him the lead of the championship for the first and solely time in his profession, as a scarcity of growth from the workforce in the end meant he dropped away to fourth in the remaining reckoning.
A transfer to Renault yielded extra podiums and attention-grabbing performances that earned him a Ferrari contract for 2012 however an low season rally accident left him with horrific accidents.
Incredibly, Kubica recovered and returned to motorsport, racing for Williams in 2019 and an extra two appearances for Alfa Romeo in 2021, finally transferring to sports activities automobiles and (*1*) with Ferrari.
5. Kimi Raikkonen – Malaysia 2003 (23 years, 5 months and 6 days)
Having been poached by McLaren after a formidable debut season with Sauber in 2001, Kimi Raikkonen proved his velocity and expertise throughout 5 seasons with the workforce.
The Finn claimed 9 wins throughout that interval, with the first coming at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix, which additionally gave him the lead of the Drivers’ Championship for the first time.
Raikkonen would take that 12 months’s title battle down to the remaining race of the season in Japan earlier than shedding out to Michael Schumacher by simply two factors, and he would once more lose out throughout the 2005 marketing campaign to Fernando Alonso.
Moving to Ferrari in 2007 to substitute Schumacher, Raikkonen lastly claimed his sole world title by a single level, finally retiring from F1 at the finish of 2021 having had a sabbatical, second spell at Ferrari and additional seasons with Lotus and Alfa Romeo.
4. Sebastian Vettel – Abu Dhabi 2010 (23 years, 4 months and 11 days)
Sebastian Vettel’s first F1 title got here after a four-way showdown at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the German’s victory handing him the crown by simply 4 factors over Fernando Alonso.
The success not solely makes him nonetheless the youngest winner of an F1 World Championship, however extremely it was the solely level all season when Vettel led the standings in addition to being the first time in his profession.
Over the following three seasons Vettel would dominate with Red Bull, claiming a quartet of titles in complete having established the vitality drinks producer at the entrance in F1.
Moving to Ferrari in 2015, Vettel challenged for the title in 2017 and 2018 however completed runner-up each occasions to Lewis Hamilton, finally retiring from the sport in 2022 after two seasons with Aston Martin.
3. Bruce McLaren – Argentina 1960 (22 years, 5 months and eight days)
The 1960 F1 season started properly for a 22-year-old Bruce McLaren, as the New Zealender claimed victory at the opening spherical in Argentina, which added to his tally of wins after victory at the remaining race in 1959.
His second F1 win with Cooper moved him to the prime of the standings for the first time and 5 additional podiums meant he completed runner-up that season, 9 factors behind Jack Brabham.
Although McLaren would by no means end as properly in the remaining Championship classification, two extra F1 victories would comply with, in addition to prime spot in the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours.
But McLaren’s largest legacy could be founding his personal workforce, which made its debut at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix and would proceed to compete in F1 lengthy after his demise from a crash at Goodwood in 1970, amassing 203 wins, 10 Constructors’ and 13 Drivers’ Championships to this point.
2. Lewis Hamilton – Spain 2007 (22 years, 4 months and 6 days)
Lewis Hamilton‘s debut season in F1 was nothing wanting spectacular, as the rookie went toe-to-toe with reigning and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren.
The Briton would declare podiums at the first 9 races of the 2007 marketing campaign, together with back-to-back wins in Canada and the USA, but it surely was second place in Spain at simply the fourth spherical that gave Hamilton prime spot in the standings.
Despite McLaren’s intra-team battle that means each Hamilton and Alonso missed out on the title by one level, Hamilton wasn’t to be denied the following season as he claimed his maiden championship.
After just a few extra shut calls with McLaren, Hamilton moved to Mercedes in 2013 earlier than claiming six drivers’ titles in seven years. Jumping to Ferrari for 2025, Hamilton has proven glimpses of his outdated kind to this point in 2026, which included his first Grand Prix podium for the Scuderia in China.
1. Kimi Antonelli – Japan 2026 (19 years, 7 months and 4 days)
Kimi Antonelli continues to break data in 2026, this time at the Japanese Grand Prix final weekend which marked back-to-back wins for the teenager.
Having taken his second Grand Prix pole place at the Suzuka Circuit, Antonelli suffered a poor begin and dropped down the order, finally returning to the lead with the assist of a well-timed Safety Car.
With Mercedes workforce mate George Russell solely fourth, it means Antonelli has moved to the prime of the Drivers’ Championship for the first time with a nine-point margin.
Although 19 Grands Prix stay this time period, might Antonelli take Sebastian Vettel’s accolade and change into the youngest driver to declare a Drivers’ World Championship as properly?
