Today, Lewis Hamilton celebrates his fortieth birthday. The Brit begins his forty-first year as a driver for Ferrari, hoping to conclude what is likely his final phase in Formula 1 on a high note. Is an eighth world title conceivable for the newly minted Scuderia driver? The following drivers certainly prove that winning a world title at or after the age of forty is indeed possible.
With his fortieth birthday today, Lewis Hamilton becomes the second driver on the current grid to span four decades. Only Fernando Alonso, aged 43, is older than the Brit. Hamilton is facing a significant change this year, as he makes his official debut as a Ferrari driver during the Australian Grand Prix in March. The world champion will hope that his time with the Scuderia goes much better than his final years with Mercedes.
There is even discussion about whether Hamilton could win a potential eighth world title with Ferrari. If so, it would be the first driver’s title for the Italian team since 2007, when Kimi Räikkönen clinched the world title. Whether Hamilton will truly succeed, of course, largely depends on the Scuderia’s 2025 car, and how well the Brit can perform with it.
Oldest World Champions
Winning a world title at or after the age of forty is not impossible, as demonstrated by the following drivers. Juan Manuel Fangio holds the record. The Argentine won his fifth world title at the age of 46 in 1957.
- Juan Manuel Fangio, 46 years and 1 month
- Giuseppa Farina, 43 years and 10 months
- Jack Brabham, 40 years and 5 months
However, it should be noted that these three drivers won their world titles in the early days of Formula 1. The oldest world champion in the modern era of the premier class is Lewis Hamilton himself. The Briton clinched his seventh world title at the age of 35 in 2020.
