But according to Mercedes F1 star George Russell, if you haven’t started racing by age 11 you’ve already missed the boat if you want a seat in a grand prix car. In an interview in The Sunday Times Magazine, Russell, 25, described how his older brother Benjy was both a national and world karting champion — the racing categories widely considered as the ideal starting point for future F1 drivers. The Brit is the second oldest F1 driver on the grid in 2023, behind another world champion, Fernando Alonso (41). Reigning world champion Max Verstappen took part in his first F1 race at 17 years, 166 days old. He’s now 25 years old and a double world champion.

Source: The Times April 20, 2023 08:23 UTC