F1's youngest podium finishers and the significance of Antonelli's first podium
In only his 10th race weekend ever in Formula 1, Kimi Antonelli has clinched his first ever podium at 18 years of age. He now joins a remarkable list of drivers as the 3rd youngest podium finisher.
I don’t feel like I gave enough credit to Andrea Kimi Antonelli in my last article when reviewing the Canadian GP — it’s not an achievement that can go unnoticed. It’s surely one we’ll look back on as the making of a future F1 legend.
And it’s not like he was massively off the pace or carried by the raw pace of the car. Before the safety car, he was only around 3–4 seconds behind George Russell, who ultimately won the race.
Funnily enough, just a couple of days after his podium, he had to sit his final exams on Wednesday, completing his school education back in Italy. He attends the Salvemini di Casalecchio di Reno Technical Institute near Bologna. He was quite vocal about his maths exams in particular, even mentioning in interviews how he had to rely heavily on help from the Mercedes team to guide him through.
Oh, the dichotomies of being a racing driver… balancing the insurmountable pressure as a prodigy with the glitz, glamour, and education is no easy feat for young Kimi.
Getting back on track with F1 — Antonelli becomes only the third driver in history to clinch his first podium at just 18 years of age. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the drivers who accomplished exceptional feats at a young age:
Max Verstappen - The youngest ever race winner and youngest podium finisher
Statistically, Max Verstappen remains unbeaten when it comes to youth records — the youngest podium finisher and race winner. The only driver who could potentially challenge that is Arvid Lindblad, but even that depends on several moving parts and would still be a tough ask.
In 2016, at the Spanish Grand Prix, both Mercedes — Hamilton and Rosberg — crashed at Turn 4, opening the door for other contenders. It could’ve been Daniel Ricciardo, or the Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen — but no one saw what was coming. Verstappen, in his very first race for Red Bull after the controversial mid-season replacement of Daniil Kvyat, seized the opportunity.
Despite being on older tires and under intense pressure from Kimi, he held firm and crossed the line first. A masterpiece of composure.
Lance Stroll - Shock Rookie podium at Baku
I don’t often give Lance Stroll much praise, especially considering his poor form this season. Since partnering with Alonso in 2023, his raw pace has been thoroughly exposed.
But he has had some unbelievable moments. He took Racing Point’s first (and only) pole in a wet Turkey 2020 qualifying session, and scored podiums in Monza 2020, Sakhir 2020 — but most notably, the wild Baku 2017 race where he finished third.
That race was absolute chaos, and under normal conditions, that podium wouldn’t have happened — but Stroll capitalized on the moment. He was pipped on the line by Bottas but still secured third. With how negatively many F1 fans perceive Stroll, especially newer ones, I appreciate this maybe hard to believe.
And yes… he’s the second youngest driver in F1 history to finish on the podium.
Lando Norris - Last Lap Lando in Austria
This was the first race after the long COVID break. On F1’s return, Lando clinched his first podium in impressive style. Hamilton, running P2, had a 5-second penalty, which dropped him behind Leclerc to third — but Norris’s pace and tire management allowed him to get within 4.8 seconds and secure the fastest lap of the race.
He became the fourth youngest driver in F1 history to score a podium at 20 years old. Fast forward to now, he’s in a tight championship fight with teammate Oscar Piastri. A lot can change in just five years.
Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen - Podiums on Debut
Lewis Hamilton arrived as a rookie not expected to challenge Fernando Alonso — a two-time reigning world champion. But he did exactly that. He tied Alonso in points and narrowly lost the title to Raikkonen by just one point.
His debut race was a statement. He qualified 4th, slipped to 5th at the start, then made a bold move around the outside at Turn 1, passing two cars including Alonso. Most rookies wouldn’t dream of it — but Lewis made it look instinctual. He finished half a minute behind Alonso, but the talent was unmistakable. He was just 22.
Kevin Magnussen in 2014, would also go on to get his first podium in his first ever race finishing second place with McLaren as well. However, unlike Lewis he would never go on to replicate the same success with his 1 and only podium being in Melbourne at 21 years of age. He also scored his only pole position with Haas in Brazil 2022.
Sebastian Vettel - Underdog masterclass at Monza
This was a beautiful underdog story for the yet to be crowned 4-time champion Sebastian Vettel. The high speed setup of Monza along the wet condition created the optimal conditions for the Faenza based team. Vettel clinched pole position by a tenth with his teammate Sebastian Bourdais in 4th. Both his pole and win were in the wet conditions and considering he was a rookie, this was nothing but extraordinary.
He dominated the whole race, winning by +12.512 seconds to Heikki Kovalainen. This was the race that set up the rest of Vettel’s career path and the dominance period he would go on to have from 2010-2013.
Final Thoughts
Andrea Kimi Antonelli now stands in great company. At just 18, he’s etched his name alongside some of the greatest young talents the sport has seen. From Verstappen’s shock win to Vettel’s Monza magic, these moments remind us just how impactful a breakout performance can be and Kimi’s Canadian GP podium might just be the beginning of a decorated F1 career.
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