Top 3 youngest F1 drivers to secure pole position

There have been many talented young racing drivers who have made their mark in F1 right after entering the series. Some of them have also gone on to win multiple races and world championships.

Qualifying is one of the sessions in which some young drivers have particularly blown the entire paddock away with their unprecedented speed and accuracy.

Here are the top three youngest drivers in F1 history who have bagged a pole position extremely early in their careers.

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#1 Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel is considered one of the most successful and famous drivers in the history of the sport. The German has clinched four back-to-back world titles and dominated the sport from 2010 to 2013.

He started showing signs of excellence at a young age when he started racing for Toro Rosso in 2008 (currently AlphaTauri).

In the Italian GP, when Vettel was only 21 years and two months old, he bagged his first pole position. This was even more special since the qualifying session took place in extremely wet conditions, which always make racing difficult. Vettel clocked a 1:37:555 lap time to take the top spot. The young Toro Rosso driver went on to win the main race as well.

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#2 Charles Leclerc at the 2019 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc was another driver who started showcasing his talent quite early in his career. The Monagasque started racing for Alfa Romeo in 2018 but was quickly promoted to Ferrari the next year.

With the Italian team, the Monagasque secured his first pole position in 2019 at the Bahrain GP, when he was only 21 years and five months old.

Leclerc stuck it on the pole by clocking a 1:27:886 lap time, while his teammate at the time, Sebastian Vettel, ended up in second place.

Though Charles Leclerc lost the lead due to engine cylinder issues, he managed to bag his first podium finish after ending up in third, behind Valtteri Bottas and race winner Lewis Hamilton.

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#3 Fernando Alonso at the 2003 F1 Malaysian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso is the third-youngest driver to bag a pole position. The Spaniard achieved this all the way back in 2003, during the Malaysian GP.

It was Alonso's second season in the sport when he clocked a 1:37:044 fastest lap time around the Sepang circuit. This was even more impressive for the young racer since he was up against multiple F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.

Alonso went on to finish third in the main Grand Prix and stand on his first-ever podium, while Kimi Raikkonen from McLaren won his first race in the sport.