Modern F1 has two sides: on one hand, we have young drivers born in the 21st century making their debut in 2025, while on the other, there are drivers who are reaching or surpassing the age of 40, such as Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
In professional sports, it was rare until not long ago to see athletes continue competing at or beyond 40 years old. However, this is no longer the case. For example, LeBron James, at 40, continues to be one of the NBA’s strongest and most dominant players with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Tom Brady retired from the NFL last year at 45.
In Formula 1, the phenomenon of drivers over 40 isn’t new, but it has made a comeback in recent years. Kimi Raikkonen retired in 2021 at 41, while Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are gearing up for a leading role in the 2025 season with Aston Martin and Ferrari, despite being 43 and 40 years old respectively (Fernando Alonso will turn 44 on July 29).
Inevitably, this opens the door for the Englishman, now driving for Ferrari, to rewrite some records as he has done in the past.
Drivers who won a race over 40
Out of 778 drivers who have raced in F1, 114 have done so past the age of 40, but only 27 have managed to finish on the podium (22 if excluding the five drivers who podiumed at the Indy 500 when it was still part of the F1 calendar).
The most recent over-40 driver to finish on the podium was Fernando Alonso at the 2023 Brazilian GP. Before that, the last podium for a driver over 40 was Michael Schumacher’s third-place finish at the 2012 European GP with Mercedes.
While podium finishes are challenging but possible, victories for drivers over 40 are much rarer. Only 10 drivers in F1 history have won a race at this age, a number that drops to 8 if the Indy 500 is excluded.
The 10 drivers who won a race over 40
– Luigi Fagioli (France 1951): 53 years, 22 days
– Nino Farina (Germany 1953): 46 years, 276 days
– Juan Manuel Fangio (Germany 1957): 46 years, 41 days
– Piero Taruffi (Switzerland 1952): 45 years, 219 days
– Jack Brabham (South Africa 1970): 43 years, 339 days
– Sam Hanks (Indy 500 1957): 42 years, 321 days
– Nigel Mansell (Australia 1994): 41 years, 97 days
– Lee Wallard (Indy 500 1951): 40 years, 264 days
– Maurice Trintignant (Monaco 1958): 40 years, 200 days
– Graham Hill (Monaco 1969): 40 years, 92 days
Fagioli’s record is likely unbeatable, but it’s worth noting that he didn’t cross the finish line himself. At the time, driver changes during the race were allowed, so the Italian started but didn’t finish the race, which was completed by Fangio. However, the victory is still considered valid as it was shared between the two drivers.
The last three victories by a driver over 40 occurred in 1969, 1970, and 1994, with Nigel Mansell being the only winner after 1970. Since the British world champion, no driver over 40 has won in F1, but now that Lewis Hamilton is a Ferrari driver, this drought may finally come to an end.
Over-40 world champions
If the list of race winners narrows to just 10 drivers, the list of those who managed to win a world championship over 40 becomes even shorter. Only three drivers have achieved this feat: Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Jack Brabham.
Nino Farina won his first and only championship in 1950 at the age of 43, while Jack Brabham secured his third championship in 1966 at the age of 40. Fangio’s case is unique, as he won his first of five world titles at 40 and his fifth at 46, making him the oldest driver ever to win an F1 world championship.
The 2025 season is shaping up to be highly competitive, with the four top teams (McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes) potentially capable of contending for both titles. Last season, Ferrari won five races and fought for the constructors’ title until the final GP. This sets the stage for Lewis Hamilton to break at least one of the two records. Who knows—he might not only become the 11th driver over 40 to win a race (and the first since 1994) but also the fourth over-40 world champion (and the first since 1966)…
Leave a Reply