The average age of Formula 1 drivers continues to drop, with more and more teenagers entering the sport, following in the footsteps of Max Verstappen—the only driver in history to debut in the top series while still a minor.
In 2025, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is on the grid, a freshly turned 18-year-old driving for Mercedes. But Oliver Bearman is not far behind, being only a year older than his former Prema teammate in Formula 2.
In short, these young drivers are racing high-performance cars and holding a Super License before even getting their regular driver’s license. In January, a photo of Kimi Antonelli after passing his driving test went viral. During the 2025 livery launch event in London, Bearman was also asked about it in the press conference before the evening show.
An unexpected failure
Surprisingly, the Ferrari-backed Haas rookie admitted that he did get his license—but only on his second try. “I passed the test a few years ago. Here in England, you can take it at 17, unlike in Italy where you have to be 18. I shouldn’t say this, but I passed on my second attempt,” Ollie admitted. “I didn’t stop at a stop sign. I didn’t completely run it, I slowed down but didn’t come to a full stop as required.”
“Being used to racing circuits, that was the first time I had seen a stop sign. In my case, like many racing drivers, I thought I could pass the test without taking lessons. That was probably where I went wrong.”
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