2025 F1 drivers ranked from oldest to youngest

The 2025 season will see a wide range of F1 drivers competing at the pinnacle of motorsports brought on by a turbulent driver market in 2024. While the last season featured the same grid as 2023 for the first time in the sport, 2025 brings a lot of changes, with only McLaren retaining their driver lineup.

The grid this year will see two drivers in their 40s going strong while an influx of rookies racing with different teams.

Below of the list of F1 drivers, ranked from oldest to youngest:

#1 Fernando Alonso- Aston Martin F1

Fernando Alonso remains the oldest driver on the grid for the 2025 season after he extended his contract with the Aston Martin F1 team until the end of 2026. The two-time F1 world champion has already broken several records in terms of his age and number of starts on the grid.

Born in 1981, he will turn 44 in July this year and is expected to be with the British team until the age of 45 next year.

#2 Lewis Hamilton-Ferrari

2025 is going to be a monumental year for the seven-time F1 world champion as he will join Ferrari following the end of a two-decade-long association with the Mercedes brand. Amid an underwhelming farewell season with Mercedes, where he finished P7 in the drivers standings, Hamilton signed a two-year deal with Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton, who will turn 40 in January, has confirmed his stay in the sport for the foreseeable future with the Italian team as he starts the new season under the guidance of Fred Vasseur.

#3 Nico Hulkenberg- Kick Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg will be heading the Audi project in F1 from 2026 as he will join the Kick Sauber team in 2025.

The soon-to-be 38-year-old has turned around his career in F1 ever since he made his comeback at the beginning of the 2023 season with Haas. The German displayed his consistency for the American team, finishing P11 in 2024.

#4 Carlos Sainz- Williams

Carlos Sainz would be the fourth oldest driver on the F1 grid in 2025, despite only turning 30 in September last year as drivers like Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, and Kevin Magnussen depart the sport. The Spaniard, who will be replaced by Hamilton at Ferrari, enters the new season on a promising note, having finished P5 in 2024.

Sainz will have a new home in Grove as he joins Williams F1 on a multi-year deal after his successful four-year stint with the Prancing Horses.

#5 Pierre Gasly-Alpine

Born in 1996, Pierre Gasly had a stellar 2024 campaign and got the better of his rival Esteban Ocon at the end of the year to solidify his place in Alpine.

The French driver, who will turn 29 on February 7 this year, will be the fifth oldest driver on the grid despite making his full debut in the sport in 2018 with Toro Rosso.

#6 Alex Albon- Williams

Just like his former Red Bull junior Gasly, Alex Albon too would be turning 29 this year in March as he starts a pivotal year in his career.

With Sainz joining Williams in 2025, There will be a lot of pressure on the Thai driver, given that he has been an integral part of the Grove-based outfit in the past couple of years and has led the team admirably.

#7 Esteban Ocon- Haas

Like many, Esteban Ocon was one of the main movers in the 2024 driver's market as he left Alpine after five years on a rather sour note to join Haas on a fresh journey.

Ocon, who too would turn 29 in September this year, is one of the more experienced drivers on the current grid having made his debut way back in 2016 with Manor Racing and would his skills to take the American team forward.

#8 Max Verstappen- Red Bull

Max Verstappen has been the class of the field in the last four years winning the drivers championship on four successive occasions. The 63-time race winner recovered from a mid-season slump and held on to win the title in 2024, having also capitalized on mistakes made by Lando Norris.

The Dutch driver, who will turn 28 on September 30 this year, has a contract with Red Bull that would see him race well into his 30s.

#9 Charles Leclerc- Ferrari

Born in 1997, Charles Leclerc will also turn 29 in 2025, notably a couple of days after his Dutch rival Verstappen.

As LeClerc enters a new chapter in his time with Ferrari, as he would have Lewis Hamilton as his teammate, the Monegasque would hope for a better outcome in the final year of the current regulations.

#10 George Russell- Mercedes

George Russell will enter the 27th year of his life on February 15 this year as he becomes the team leader at Mercedes after Hamilton's exit.

Although his contract with the German team expires at the end of the 2025 season, it is widely expected that he will continue with them for the foreseeable future.

#11 Lance Stroll- Aston Martin

The Aston Martin driver recently turned 26 in October last year and has his seat secured at Aston Martin at least until 2026.

After making his debut in 2017 and becoming the youngest podium sitter at that time, Lance Stroll has failed to live up to the standards thus far in his career. In 2024, he finished a modest P13.

#12 Lando Norris- McLaren

Lando Norris will be eager to celebrate his 26th birthday in October with a maiden world champion title. The four-time race winner had a crucial year in 2024 as he took the fight to Max Verstappen, but ultimately failed to secure the title despite an arguably superior car.

After leading McLaren to their first Constrcutor's title since 1998, the British driver would like to take the driver's crown away from Verstappen in 2025 after having learned some lessons this year.

#13 Yuki Tsunoda- RB

2025 could be a life-changing year for Yuki Tsunoda after being denied a seat at Red Bull. The Japanese, who will turn 25 in May, will have his final year with the junior Racing Bulls team.

If Tsunoda continues his upward trajectory, he will very well target a move away from the Red Bull family to advance his glittering F1 career.

#14 Oscar Piastri- McLaren

Oscar Piastri was the youngest F1 driver on the 2024 grid last year, but has been pipped by six new arrivals for the 2025 driver lineup.

In his third year with McLaren, the Aussie driver would hope for a further step up from his results last year, and a potential title bid if the performance of the car sustains.

#15 Liam Lawson- Red Bull

Liam Lawson would indeed have a delightful 23rd birthday on February 11 as he secured the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen after just 11 races in F1 in two short stints in as many years.

However, there will be a lot of expectations on the young Kiwi driver given the magnitude of the position and pressure from other drivers, such as Yuki Tsunoda for the same seat.

#16 Jack Doohan- Alpine

After making his debut at the season final in Abu Dhabi replacing Esteban Ocon in Alpine, Jack Doohan will have his first full year as an F1 driver in 2025. The Aussie has been the reserve driver and part of the Alpine Academy and finally got the promotion after working hard in helping in the team's turnaround.

But first, he would ring in his 22nd birthday on January 20 with his close ones before going into prep mode for his rookie campaign.

#17 Isack Hadjar- RB

Isack Hadjar impressed everyone with his title campaign in the F2 season this year and was desperately unlucky with the manner in which he lost to Gabriel Bortoleto.

However, it was enough to secure a full-time F1 drive for the 20-year-old Frenchman who got the seat of Lawson in Racing Bulls. He will have one year to make an impression against his Japanese teammate to further advance his F1 career.

#18 Gabriel Bortoleto- Kick Sauber

The 2004-born Brazilian became only the fourth driver to win F3 and F2 seasons consecutively after Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri in 2024.

As a reward for his efforts, the 20-year-old got a full-time F1 drive at the Kick Sauber F1 team, which will become Audi in 2026. Bortoleto was previously a McLaren Academy driver.

#19 Oliver Bearman- Haas

The Ferrari academy driver impressed everyone with his performances in the three Grand Prix that he got to race with the Italian team and Haas in 2024.

The Brit, who will turn 20 in May, got points in two out of three outings and got himself a permanent race seat with the American team for 2025.

#20 Kimi Antonelli- Mercedes

Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes during Formula 1 Testing- Source: Getty

The youngest driver on the 2025 F1 grid would arguably have the most pressure as well, despite being a rookie due to the opportunity of racing with the top team in his debut season.

Kimi Antonelli, born three months after Bearman, will have the additional task of performing alongside George Russell and Mercedes and justifying his place in the sport after Lewis Hamilton's departure from the German team.

Edited by Shirsh