F1: 5 youngest Formula One World Champions

The first Formula One season where drivers were in contention to grab the Championship was held in the year 1950. The first ever Drivers' Champion was Italy's Giuseppe Farina of Team Alfa Romeo. In 68 Championships held so far, thirty-three different drivers belonging to 14 distinct countries have won the Championship.

Drivers from United Kingdom top the list with 17 Championships followed by 12 Championships won by German drivers. Scuderia Ferrari has been the most successful team with 15 Constructors' Championships with McLaren not far behind at 12.

German legend Michael Schumacher is the sport's most decorated driver with 7 Drivers' Championships. We take a look at the 5 youngest drivers to be crowned F1 World Champion:

#5 Michael Schumacher

The most accomplished Formula One driver of all-time, Michael 'Schumi' Schumacher won 7 World Championships which included 91 wins, both records which stand even today. On-track, he was also referred to as 'The Rain Master' for his uncanny knack of pulling off victories on wet tracks with remarkable consistency.

In all, Schumi won an impressive 17 out of the 30 wet races that he featured in throughout his career. Schumacher, racing for Team Benetton, won his First Championship in the year 1994 aged 25 years and 314 days.

---

#4 Emerson Fittipaldi

Emerson Fittipaldi

Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi's Formula One career lasted 11 seasons between 1970 and 1980 during which he drove for Team Lotus, Team McLaren and his brother Wilson Fittipaldi's Fittipaldi Automotive Team.

Emerson Fittipaldi won 2 Formula One World Championships in 1972 and 1974, both for Team Lotus. He also registered 2 wins at Indianapolis 500. At the time of winning his first Formula 1 title in 1972, he was the youngest ever at 25 years and 273 days.

---

#3 Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso at the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, 2005

Spaniard Fernando Alonso made his debut for Team Minardi in the year 2001. The following year he switched to Team Renault where he was a test driver for a couple of years. He was promoted to lead driver for the team in 2003.

Alonso is the only Spanish driver to have won the Formula One Drivers' Championship. He won the Championship with Team Renault in 2005 and 2006. In his storied career, he has raced for 4 different teams, including Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren.

He won his first Championship in 2005 and at the time he was the youngest to do so, at the age of 24 years and 58 days.

#2 Lewis Hamilton

F1 Grand Prix of Russia - Practice

British driver Lewis Hamilton made his debut for McLaren in 2007 and instantly became a fan favorite. He had a spectacular rookie season, winning 4 races and finishing just a point behind eventual champion Kimi Raikkonen.

He went one step further in 2008 when he beat Brazilian Felipe Massa to the World Championship by just one point. The holder of the most number of pole positions in Formula One history at 79, Hamilton is a 4-time Formula One Champion.

Hamilton has, over the years, learned to control his aggression and is known to demonstrate high levels of maturity and composure on-track to achieve spectacular results. Hamilton was 23 years, 300 days old when he won his first Championship in 2008.

#1 Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Like Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel also made his debut in the year 2007 driving for Team BMW Sauber. In 2008, driving for Toro Rosso, Vettel became the youngest pole-sitter and race-winner at the time.

He achieved this when he won at Monza. His real breakthrough season came in the year 2010 when he won the Drivers' Championship with Red Bull at the age of 23 years, 134 days. The Vettel and Red Bull combo were unstoppable as they would go on to win 4 consecutive Drivers' and Constructors' titles respectively.