3 F1 drivers started racing late

F1 is a sport that you have to start as early as possible in life. You have to get used to it as early as possible because there is so much to learn and every hour and every minute is crucial. There are drivers on the current grid, such as Sebastian Vettel, who started karting at the age of just 3 years old.

Not all follow that route, however. In some cases, not all can make up their minds at such a tender age that they will pursue something like this. Some drivers wait until slightly later in life to make a decision and jump into racing. In this piece, we take a look at 3 F1 drivers that started late in their lives as compared to some of the other drivers.

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3 F1 drivers who started racing late in their lives

#1 Damon Hill

Damon Hill's career could have followed the same trajectory as someone like Max Verstappen on the current grid. A double world champion father in Graham Hill had already got the junior Hill hooked on the sport. With the right guidance from his father, Hill would have had an even more fulfilling career to his name.

Unfortunately, when Hill was just a child, his father Graham lost his life. Because of that, a career that could have been a smooth ride became much rougher. With no money or guidance, Hill, still coping with his father's death, put his racing career on hold for some time. He would, however, pick up racing a bit later in his life and debuted in F1 in 1992 already in his 30s (older than Ayrton Senna at the time). Hill would end up winning the 1996 F1 championship, making him and his father one of the most prolific father-son duos in the history of F1.

#2 Jacques Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve had a similar tragic story to Damon Hill. In Villeneuve's case, however, his father Gilles died on the track. The junior Villeneuve had always wanted to race when he was young. He even started very early as a 4-year-old in karts. His father's fatal accident at Spa, however, made his mother slightly reluctant about the prospect of Villeneuve racing just like his father did.

As a 12-year-old, after seeking his mother's permission, Villeneuve will give in to the urge to pursue a career in Formula 1. He would end up becoming the IndyCar Champion and then eventually an F1 world championship as well in 1997.

Jacques Villeneuve was able to achieve what his father set out to do in F1 and gave the legendary 'Villeneuve' name even more credibility.

#3 Yuki Tsunoda

Yuki Tsunoda's journey to Formula 1 and its magnificence is often not given its day in the sun. The Japanese driver was an F1 fan. While many of his contemporaries stepped into a kart at a very tender age, Tsunoda's karting experience started when he was already 11 years old. The Japanese driver's meteoric rise in the junior categories was almost surprising to watch.

Until the Japanese driver reached F3, he spent a year in each of the junior series, but none more than that. Tsunoda started impressing everyone during his time in F3 but it all came to a head in F2 when he picked up three race wins and contended for the title. He joined Formula 1 at a relatively young age of 20 years old, but considering how late he began his racing journey it's hard to fathom such a meteoric rise to the top by the Japanese driver.