Today, F1 has become a sport associated with young people. The average age of drivers, and even the fans, has become much lower than before. But this was not always the case. For example, the average age of the F1 grid in 1950 was around 39. Some of the oldest ever world champions drove during the early years of F1 as well. So let’s discover who are the top 5 oldest drivers to win an F1 world championship.
Most fans know the names of the youngest-ever F1 world champions. This list includes legends such as Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel, and even newer additions like Max Verstappen. But who are the oldest drivers ever to win a world championship? Let’s take a look.
Top 5 oldest drivers to win an F1 world championship
#5 Nigel Mansell – 39 years, 8 days
Nigel Mansell made his F1 debut back in 1980. But he won his first and only world championship in 1992. The Briton was 39 years old by then. During his career, Mansell finished runner-up in the championship standings on three occasions.
Despite him only ever winning one championship, many fans still consider Mansell to be one of the greatest drivers in F1 history.
#4 Graham Hill – 39 years, 246 days
Graham Hill won his first F1 world championship in 1962. He then finished as the runner-up in the next three consecutive seasons. Finally, he was able to get his hands on his second and final title in 1968. By this time, he was already 39 years old.
To this day, Hill remains the only ever driver to have completed the Triple Crown of Motorsports. This means he has won the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
#3 Jack Brabham – 40 years, 155 days
Jack Brabham had turned 40 by the time he won his third and final world championship in 1966. Before this, he had won two titles in 1959 and 1960.
The Aussie driver started his own F1 team in 1960, which he named after himself. He then won the 1966 title with his team and remains the only driver to have won a world championship with a team bearing his name.
#2 Giuseppe Farina – 43 years, 308 days – First ever F1 world champion
Giuseppe Farina won the F1 world championship in the inaugural 1950 season. The Italian driver was just over a month away from his 44th birthday when he won the title at the 1950 Italian Grand Prix.
#1 Juan Manuel Fangio – 46 years, 41 days
Juan Manuel Fangio only ever competed in 7 full seasons of F1. In this time, he won five world championships. The last of those championships came in 1957, when Fangio was 46 years old, making him the oldest ever world champion, to this day.
The Argentine was already 40 when he won his first title in 1951. He is also technically the second, fourth, and fifth oldest driver to have won a world championship. These records make him one of the greatest ever drivers to have raced in F1.
